Project Echo- PART 3 (Finale)
by PretendThisIsWitty
Summary: *This will begin with a catch-up for new readers* Six years after the events of "Part 1", Avengers Tower explodes. All evidence points to Shadow-Ops leader Inessa Ryker who is forced to seek out Bucky in hiding. Together they must determine who the traitor is and if their friends are still alive- all while trying to survive ambushes orchestrated by the only other leader left- Sam.
1. Preview

**Teaser**

**I will update with the previously-on later. This is just so people can follow to receive notifications once I begin posting Part 3. As I said in the epilogue for Part 2, it could take a few weeks. This one is a bit more complicated**

Here is a summary more detailed than what's in the description!

Six years after the events of "Project Echo- Part 1", life is as well as can be expected for the teams. 9 Units have grown to accommodate the influx of new Avengers. Thor and Steve Rogers lead the "Apprehension" Team- a police wing. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner handle all crimes technology-related. Wanda Maximoff co-leads her team with lover Vision and works with Sam Wilson to provide disaster relief for areas either hit by an enemy or facilitate recovery of people affected by natural disasters. Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton lead the Espionage Unit, naturally. Avengers Black Ops, comprised of only one team led by Inessa Ryker, handle delicate cases. All leaders make up the Warfare team.

With the arrival of a new member to Inessa's team, strange things begin to happen. Disasters that should have been predictable, attacks on top-secret facilities, and other events combine to paint one bleak picture- there is a traitor amongst the Avengers' ranks. Inessa believes the new member may be to blame, yet all evidence points squarely to her-

And then Avengers Tower explodes.

The leaders are missing feared dead- all save Sam Wilson and Inessa Ryker. He launches the surviving Avengers on a kill mission, hell-bent on revenge. Inessa, at a loss for allies, must seek out the one person she believes she can trust- Bucky Barnes, who has been in hiding for five years.

Bucky and Inessa's rocky alliance is put to the test when he learns of the charges against her, and he must decide if he'll help her on her quest to find the missing leaders, or side with the Avengers and their allies across the universe and kill her for her crimes.

Their journey will take them from Earth to Asgard to strange, new allies in space (including a tree and talking raccoon)- all the while with the might of the Avengers army at their backs. Are the leaders still alive? Did Inessa betray them? Will they even survive long enough to find out?

Only two things are for sure- It'll be an explosive finale for the "Project Echo" trilogy, and it is devastatingly corny to end a summary with "only two things are for sure"...


	2. Previously

I cannot recommend highly enough that you take your time to read "Project Echo- Part 1" and "Project Echo- Part 2" if you haven't already done so. Especially "Part 1".

I've done my best summarizing both parts below as quickly and simply as I can, but the fics are a good read (if I do say so myself) and they can be managed in a long afternoon of reading with no problem.

But, if you're brave and want to just jump straight into Part 3 for some reason, here is the "Previously On" for Parts 1 and 2...

 **Previously**

8 months after the events of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier", Steve and Sam finally track down Bucky with the help of Natasha and a SHIELD team. They follow his trail to a Hydra research base in Astana, Kazakhstan that is connected to his time as a torturer for a Hydra recruiter named Thomas Dennisson some five years before.

Bucky has returned to the base in the hopes of locating the subject of his mission with Dennisson codenamed "Project Echo"- a 14-16 year old girl he knew only by the project name.

Steve readily agrees to Bucky's demand for help locating the prisoner on the condition his old friend returns with him to Avengers Tower to recover while they search. He agrees, but with his own condition that if they do not find her within a week, he will kill Tony Stark.

While at the Tower, Bucky is sedated and his metal arm is entirely removed, repaired, and reattached by Tony and a surgeon. Thor, the newly appointed Asgardian Ambassador to Midgard, provides his own advanced healing tools to begin repairing the scarring and damage done to Bucky's brain by Hydra's electroshock machines used to control and program him.

During Bucky's procedures, a terrifying creature attacks from the shadows, damaging the Tower and nearly killing Steve with an unidentifiable silver venom that leaves him scarred and on death's door. The only way the Avengers can hold the beast off is to turn the lights on to maximum strength throughout the Tower. Sam manages to track down Hydra incident reports going back 20 years detailing similar attacks on the Hydra base in Kazakhstan- all attributed to "Project Helius"- a reportedly failed experiment involving photons and delta waves that resulted in a cataclysmic radiation leak, killing all scientists involved.

Bucky wakes from his surgeries at the end of his week long limit to discover he has a new arm and an improved base plate. He is overwhelmed with the sudden return of most of his memories of his time both as Bucky Barnes and as the Winter Soldier. Sam, in pursuing information on Project Echo, discovers a Hydra asylum to which the girl was sent to once the project was deemed a failure.

The Avengers recover the girl from a cryo tube but in doing so seem to incur the Shadow-creature's wrath. After it nearly kills the unresponsive teen Steve discovers that, like himself, she has been exposed to the Shadow-creature's deadly venom and bears a silver scar identical to his. For an unknown reason, the venom of the Shadow appears to have left her essentially brain dead and she is unable to recover from it.

Tensions rise as more Avengers face near-fatal encounters with the Shadow. They learn that it appears to be seeking a body to possess, and the empty mind of Echo- renamed Inessa by Natasha and Clint- is an ideal choice.

While the Avengers fight to stave off the beast, Thomas Dennisson, the former head of Project Echo, comes after Bucky and uses devices planted by an ally in Avengers Tower to launch a psychological campaign against him. As the Avengers scramble to fight the growing power of the Shadow, Dennisson hijacks Tower video and audio devices to broadcast for Bucky the security recordings of his brutal torture sessions leading to Inessa's sudden and complete breaking in Project Echo.

One night Dennisson manages to cut power to all lights in Avengers Tower- unleashing the Shadow and a host of wolf-like minions. All Avengers unmarked by its venom are attacked and Natasha comes very close to losing her life. Against his father's express orders, Thor brings Natasha to Asgard for medical attention. As punishment he is exiled to Midgard until such time as he relinquishes all contact and allegiance to the Avengers.

While Thor is away and the others are distracted, Bucky trades himself to Dennisson's assistant Sebastian Morris for the complete files on Project Helius and Project Echo, believing it will help the Avengers track down Inessa's family and reveal a way to stop the Shadow unleashed by Project Helius.

Bucky is tortured by Dennisson for several days before an unknown savior spirits him away from Hydra's facility in New York City. During this time Clint and Steve track down an alcoholic former Hydra doctor named Dimitri Aristov- brother and brother-in-law to two scientists killed in the Project Helius disaster and the one to recruit Inessa for Project Echo. He proves to be little help, but indicates the Shadow may be something unleashes in the explosion and not, as the Avengers believed, a person nearby imbued with strange powers.

Not long after Bucky's escape, Dennisson attacks New York with a large Hydra force- including four people with abilities meant to divide the Avengers forces. Clint, left to guard Inessa against the Shadow, is attacked by another of Dennisson's men and receives a near-fatal wound.

Believing he can stop the Shadow before it takes Inessa, Clint turns off the Tower lights. Once the intruder is dead, however, he is too weak to reactivate them in time. Only when the Shadow divides into two creatures and fuzes with Inessa- transforming the half-human beast into a wolf, does Clint realize "Project Echo" is a reference to a mythological nymph who is turned into a shadow and that all along the Shadow was the missing piece of Inessa's mind.

Rewind twenty one years. Project Helius fails, releasing lethal amounts of delta radiation. All exposed scientists die, including lead researcher Emilie Ryker- but not her unborn child. The girl's uncle, Nikolai Ryker, takes her into hiding from Hydra. Knowing they would only ever look for him, Nikolai changes his name to Dimitri Aristov and settles in Chicago with his niece, Nadya Ryker. As she grows, Nadya begins to display abnormal control over shadows- even going so far as to use them to summon creatures or open portals to a barren, dead land called simply "The Valley". Unable to cope with the child or her strange abilities, Dimitri turned to alcohol and the small family fell to extreme poverty. When Nadya was 14, Dimitri was approached by Hydra, who had connected attacks on their personnel to the instability of the child's growing power. Dimitri sold his niece to Hydra without hesitation.

Nadya was taken off the streets by Dennisson, tortured for 2 years by the Winter Soldier, yet never agreed to serve Hydra in exchange for mercy. During a rare absence by Dennisson, the Winter Soldier thought to show mercy to the girl and encourage her to break by turning off the lights in the torture room for the first time in years, and in doing so unwittingly deactivating the device blocking her powers. Nadya used the chance to merge her mind with that of her most loyal wolf from the Valley. She uses the wolf's form to attempt suicide and kill her body, but the attempt is thwarted by Bucky when he reactivates the device.

With no way to end her imprisonment, Nadya leaves her body entirely and fuzes with the wolf, becoming a mindless beast known to the Avengers as the Shadow. The body she leaves behind falls into a vegetative state and eventually Project Echo is declared a failure. The Shadow follows the Winter Soldier for years, using its power to influence him to look for Nadya's body so that it may finish killing her. Once the Avengers surround Bucky and retrieve the body, the Shadow attacks- initially in an attempt to carry out the suicide mission. As it realizes the body is no longer in Hydra control, it attacks in order to possess the Avengers and determine if it was safe to return.

Reunited with her body, Inessa uses her power to intervene and help stop Dennisson before the psychological fallout returns her to her traumatized, half-insane state.

Clint recovers from his injuries and, though Inessa can no longer speak and suffers from extreme PTSD, he helps teach her sign language as a way to communicate with the Avengers. Through this they learn her real name and that Dimitri was her uncle. Enraged, Bucky leaves the Tower to hunt him down.

The Avengers leave the Tower and make for Clint's farm in South Dakota to enjoy R&R after the months of strain from battling the Shadow and Dennisson's forces in what is already being dubbed the Second Battle of New York. Inessa continues to improve slowly under Natasha and Clint's guidance, but is still frightened of the other Avengers.

One night Inessa abruptly brings Bucky back to the farm. Believing her to be a Hydra assassin, he attacks before he realizes where he is. When he sees what he has done, he willingly goes under house arrest in Clint's barn (which sports an apartment in the loft). Inessa leads him to rejoin the group, but Steve is still angry with his friend for leaving and for killing Dimitri Aristov (which Bucky adamantly denies).

Inessa puts further strain on the team when she is caught by a SHIELD agent (and her best friend before Hydra took her) in a Hydra facility one night- revealing that while the Avengers believed her to be asleep in her room on the farm she was massacring Hydra soldiers as the Shadow and liberating the people they experimented on. In response to this, the Avengers activate an implant on the back of Inessa's neck to disable her powers with the same audio frequency Hydra used.

Steve and Sam take Inessa and Bucky back to New York so that Inessa may undergo treatment by renowned psychologist Doctor Madelyn Pryor. Doctor Pryor proves to have something else up her sleeve when she attempts to use psychic powers to try and turn Inessa against the Avengers. The girl plays along but does not tell the others, determined to figure out for herself what the doctor is up to.

Meanwhile, throughout Part 2 of Project Echo, Dennisson's assistant, Sebastian Morris, is recruiting a team of the Avenger's greatest enemies to destroy them while he brings Inessa back to the mad-god Thanos, his master. For his "Cabal" he recruits Clint's brother Berny (who Clint believes he accidentally killed nearly twenty years before), an assassin named Albatross (who along with Natasha made up the original test subjects of Doctor Erskine and the Red Skull's super-soldier serum in the late 1930s), former Army general John Ryker (Inessa's grandfather and the Hulk's greatest enemy), Red Skull's super-assassin daughter Sin (who has been given the task of killing Tony Stark), 2 supernatural creatures who inspire murderous rage in their victims (intended to inspire Bucky and Steve to turn on one another), and Cul Borson- Thor's treacherous uncle who was imprisoned for more than 2,000 years after a failed attempt to overthrow Odin (which resulted in the annihilation of an entire realm and every living thing within it).

An attack on Bucky and Inessa in New York forces him to remove Tony's implant from Inessa's neck and nearly kills both of them. Doctor Pryor uses her abilities to make Tony break from reality and force an experimental new implant on Inessa against her will. The act has the desired affect of driving a wedge between the Avengers- particularly after Inessa and Bucky go against Steve's orders and slaughter the inhabitants of yet another Hydra base- this one dangerously close to replicating Project Helius and opening the Valley to their forces.

It isn't until Doctor Pryor tries to make Sam kill Steve that her treachery is revealed. Bucky kills Pryor (to prevent Inessa from having to do it), and her control over Tony and Sam is broken. While the Avengers re-group at Clint's farm, Morris is forced to move up the time table for his attack.

Unfortunately for Morris, Berny's hatred of his brother did not run deep enough for murder. While pretending to work for the Cabal, Berny anonymously provided names and photographs of all members (including himself) to the Avengers. On the night of the attack he kills John Ryker to convince Clint to trust him so long as the attack lasts.

During the battle with Morris' forces, Sam manages to break Morris' device that prevents Inessa from using her powers. She takes Thor and Cul through to the Valley- the only place they can kill the mad Asgardian. Cul recognizes the place and, just before the wolves of the Valley kill him, he reveals that the Valley is in fact the realm destroyed by the Jotuns to stop him more than 2,000 years before. When he tries to use his life-sucking powers on Inessa she is completely unaffected by it, suggesting she may not be human, but rather another shadow-creature from the Valley who entered Midgard in the eruption of Project Helius and ended up in the body of Emilie Ryker's dead child.

In the wake of the battle, ashamed of his behavior (including the brutal murder of Inessa's uncle, which he finally admits to Steve) and his fights with his former friend under the influence of Morris' monsters, Bucky leaves the Avengers. He asks Steve to keep the others from coming after him and leaves behind his metal arm. With the help of an antidote created by a SHIELD doctor, Bucky removes the silver tracking mark left from the Shadow's earlier attacks which made it possible for Inessa to instantly locate him anywhere in the world.

Also throughout Parts 1 and 2, Bucky has random visions of a future where Avengers Tower has been destroyed and Inessa appears to be responsible. He believes these visions to be a warning of some kind, but cannot convince the others to take them seriously. His last vision, from just after Inessa brought him to Clint's farm, was of Sam trying to kill Inessa in retribution for her murder of Steve, Natasha, Tony, Thor, Clint, and Banner.


	3. Part 2 Review

I am re-posting the Epilogue for Part 2 so that you get the explanation of the new Avengers arrangement again :)

 **Part 2 Review: Epilogue: Five Years Later**

Nine weeks after the battle with the Cabal, in the crater at the farm, the first Avengers Satellite Facility was built. Once SHIELD and the US government cleaned out the Hydra corpses, that is. Inessa apologized to Steve for months when he found out about those. The farmhouse was rebuilt on top of it, but now with hundreds of security features hidden in the walls. Clint wanted the place to still feel like his home.

Not long after Bucky's departure, Tony's scans finally rooted out Loki's scepter from his invasion of New York. Recovering the staff (and the subsequent battle with Tony's new _friend_ Ultron) brought in two new Avengers- the android Vision and an enhanced psychic, Wanda. It also pushed Steve over the edge. Years of fighting, losing people he cared about, feeling trapped- when Peggy Carter died one summer night of old age he broke. He began taking dangerous risks, fought recklessly with both enemies and friends- Tony stepped up to challenge him and a full on civil war erupted between the two. It ended with Steve dead on the steps of the supreme court, gunned down by the villain Crossbones- Bucky's old Hydra taskmaster.

Steve's death was mourned around the globe. Half the Avengers vanished in its wake. For a time, his shield was carried by the Falcon- Sam Wilson. When Steve reappeared to battle the titan Thanos after the obliteration of Avengers Tower in the Infinity War, rumors swirled that an unknown Avenger- the mysterious Shadow- was responsible for his survival- and that Tony Stark himself orchestrated the memorials to further spread the belief in the Captain's demise. A conspiracy to give the hero the break he desperately needed.

The Steve Rogers who returned with seven new Avengers was a changed man. He smiled, joked, teased, enjoyed life and never again lived battle to battle.

As more superheroes, enhanced or otherwise, came out of the woodwork the Avengers divided into five units: Technology, Disaster Relief, Espionage, Apprehension, and Warfare.

The Technology Unit faced any foe human or android who used exceptional technological advancements to harm others. Tony Stark led one team, Bruce Banner the other. Scarlet Witch and Vision shared leadership of their team and were responsible for Disaster Relief- getting people out of war zones before the fighting began or after a natural disaster occurred. This task they shared with Sam Wilson and his team of Avengers. Espionage, naturally, was the realm of Natasha and Clint- Black Widow and Hawkeye. The Apprehension Unit- the police wing of the Avengers- was led by Steve and Thor's teams.

The purpose of the Units was to give the Avengers a break- Tony Stark's condition in the treaty ending the civil war. Only one team worked at a time- passing the baton with each new threat. Only the Warfare Unit never rotated. Steve, Tony, Wanda, Vision, Banner, Thor, Clint, Natasha, Sam and the Shadow- the leaders of the Avengers Army- were the only members. The greatest threats alone were handled by this central counsel.

Whenever Avengers presence was ill advised, or for delicate missions, a special Unit was sent, comprised of only one team: Avengers Black Ops. The Unit was a myth, a rumor for years, until the Infinity War. Like all Avengers teams this one was small- only three new Avengers and led by the creature known only as "The Shadow". No one knew if it was human, who it was or where it even came from. Some believed it was responsible for ending the Second Battle of New York, some conspiracy theorists claimed it was created from the souls of the two million killed in Thanos' attack- a beast of vengeance tamed by the heroes. Whatever it was, the popular nickname for the mysterious Unit was forever after 'Avengers Shadow Ops'.

Avengers Tower was rebuilt in record time. Memorial statues to the nine Avengers who died in the Infinity War acted as pillars on the street level. Three more satellite facilities appeared around North America, bases for the other Units. Amongst all the changes, the upheaval and the resettlement of the original team, Steve kept his promise. There was one rule in Avengers Tower everyone obeyed- no one looked for Bucky Barnes.

Six years after the Second Battle of New York, people could rest assured that whatever rose to challenge the human race, the Avengers would match it in kind.

That confidence ended the night the Avengers only rule was broken.

The night the leaders died.

The night Avengers Tower exploded.


	4. Prologue

**Prologue**

Jamal loved to sit on the roof of his apartment building in the earliest hours of the night and look out at the New York City skyline. In the distance, Avengers Tower stood like a sentenal over the city, all lit up and shining.

Like most eleven year olds, he was obsessed with the heroes who lived inside the gleaming building. He wanted nothing more than to grow up to become an Agent in the newly reinstated SHIELD- to serve in the shadows of the heroes as well as any normal human might. Jamal almost wished he'd been in a lab accident or chemical spill, like so many of them had.

Every Christmas going back as long as he could remember he'd been given an Avengers Leader action figure by his parents- the set would be complete soon enough. He had all of the Originals- Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thor. Last Christmas his parents had given him the Falcon. All he needed to complete his collection were Scarlet Witch, Vision, and the mysterious Shadow- a terrifying monster his mother was sure would only give him nightmares.

As he watched the distant Tower he thought of the real-life versions of his action figures. What were the heroes doing right now? Stopping a nuclear holocaust? Preventing another alien invasion? Jamal was just a baby when the last one happened- he unfairly remembered nothing. When he was only five the Shadow and the Falcon had joined in the Second Battle of New York- _that_ one he'd watched on the news with his parents, as enthralled as they were terrified at the grainy cell phone footage of the Avengers incredible feats of heroics. He thought he remembered another Avenger with them- a man fighting alongside Captain America, but no one ever saw that man again. Maybe he was just a bystander. Maybe he died.

Jamal could see lights on in Avengers Tower, even at his distance. He wondered if they did normal stuff too- brushing teeth, cleaning their rooms- if _he_ were a superhero his mother would _never_ make him clean his room. Or, if she did, he'd have some kind of power that made it easier. Jamal smiled to himself as he daydreamed of zipping around at high speeds while mom watched in awe or snapping his fingers and making all the mess disappear- or simply making it invisible so she'd _think_ he cleaned it...

He was jolted from his thoughts by a sudden, unbearable flash of light from the top of the Tower- like spotlights but shining outward instead of up. He stood up and watched, dazzled, through a crack between his fingers. Something epic was happening- no doubt! For five whole minutes the lights shone, attracting the attention of everyone in the city and around it. Then, suddenly, they cut off.

A few seconds later the top of the Tower erupted in a massive fireball. Chunks of the building were launched across the city in every direction. Before he could process what he was seeing Jamal heard a deafening boom- like a crack of thunder amplified a hundred times. Just behind the sound came a blast of hot wind so strong that it lifted Jamal off his feet and slammed him into the stairwell door several feet behind him. Glass shattered on buildings, car alarms went off, the ground began to shake.

Jamal crawled to his feet and stared, horrified, at the ruins of Avengers Tower burning like a torch in the distance.

No streaks of light signaling Iron Man in his suit. No tiny red speck from the Falcon. No lightning from Thor. No beams of light from Vision. No red haze from the Scarlet Witch. His father came running up to the roof to bring him down to the car. People were screaming, shouting, fleeing the city.

Where were the Avengers?

* * *

What do you say we start Part 3 TONIGHT?

For story notes visit **ProjectEchoFanfic** dot **tumblr** dot **com**.


	5. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: 119 Days Before the Explosion**

Avengers Tower.

Avengers.

Motherfucking.

Tower.

Marie just stared at it, mouth ajar like a complete idiot. Or, more accurately, like the dozens of tourists around her. For nearly a decade the Avengers protected pretty much the whole damn world from one threat or another, and Marie was actually standing outside of their main base!

She'd spent most of her life in a small farming town, the biggest building she'd ever seen was the two-story fire station. It was quite literally the middle of nowhere- 2,000 people (though if someone told her there were only 200 she'd believe them based on what she'd seen), one little school covering K-12, two churches and a Jewish temple- even fast food chains didn't bother setting up shop! Nothing ever happened to even put a strain on the ten or so police officers. Even when the Mad-God Thanos came to Earth and killed _millions_ with the Infinity Gauntlet not a single person in the damned town got so much as a paper-cut, or even knew someone who had!

If Marie had even just heard an Avenger was within 100 miles of her town she'd have been happy. Now she was standing outside Avengers Tower itself.

With an invitation to go inside.

Maybe.

If it wasn't a joke and she wasn't a completely gullible idiot.

Marie took a deep breath and tore her eyes away from the gleaming building. She tried to slow her racing pulse as she crossed the street with a group of German tourists heading for the Avengers Store at the corner of the Tower, open to the street. The crowds were so dense it was nearly impossible to free herself from the press of people craning to see the remote Iron Man suits that "guarded" the doors of the large shop and were for tourists the New York equivalent of the guards at Buckingham Palace (as if anyone would dare so much as pickpocket in the shadow of the Tower).

Already blushing in embarrassment, Marie went to the main entrance. She was keenly aware of the large and unnecessarily buff guards glaring at her through the windows. Avengers Tower wasn't only the main base of the Avengers and home to several heroes- it was a major research facility for the world's leading technology corporation. Security was tight, and tourists were strictly forbidden from cluttering their lobby and wasting the time of Stark Industries employees.

The packet that had arrived anonymously and unsolicited two days before included a plane ticket, hotel confirmation, taxi card, a map to the Tower, and a silver security badge. Up until now everything had proven legitimate, she had to go on faith. Marie reached into her patchwork bag and fished the badge out with a shaking hand. She held it up so the guard inside the doors could see it, nervous and probably brick-red by now. Her best friend was a practical joker, and even though this was fairly far from her normal pranks of bouncy-balls in the school locker, Marie had never been the most confident person. Any chance to second-guess herself, she took it.

As soon as he saw the card the security guard's scowl melted into a kind smile. He pointed to a black box by the door and mimed the direction to insert the badge. Marie nodded dumbly and went over to it. She thought it worked like a credit card reader at a gas station- put the card in, pull it out. She tried, but nothing happened. The guard mimed again, and it took three tries for Marie to figure out what she was doing wrong- the machine was meant to _keep_ the card. A credit to his professionalism- the guard didn't laugh.

The door slid open just long enough for her to walk through, then it closed tight behind her in an instant. Some curious tourists stared (and even snapped a photo). Marie felt even more self conscious- how many of them saw her screwing up with the machine?

"Bag please," the nice guard checked through her things carefully- he looked over each page inside the packet she carried, pulled out every card and looked in every pouch in her wallet (thank god she'd removed the girls' supplies in the hotel before coming). He even took the battery out of her cell phone to make sure nothing was behind it. While he did his search, another guard had Marie walk through a massive metal scanner that blasted her with a puff of air and spun around her for a moment. Evidently they found no issues (as if they would, Marie never even snuck a drink from her parents liquor cabinet) and her bag was returned to her. The first guard held the inner door open for her to admit her into the main lobby with a tip of his hat and a, "Have a nice visit."

The second Marie's feet hit the polished white tile of the lobby she was approached by a petite, beautiful receptionist who looked more fit to be a model. "Welcome to Avengers Tower," she quickly consulted a tablet, "Miss Richards."

Marie had spent her entire year's babysitting money on nice pants and a professional looking top from the clearance section of the department store in the next town. Her mother lent her best church shoes to complete the outfit. In all her life, these clothes were the most expensive thing she'd ever worn and all of it combined, at full price, couldn't have cost a third of what the knee-high boots this woman was wearing did.

Everything together- the outfit, bumbling with the card reader, the stares of the tourists, the enormity of where she was and what she was doing hit Marie like a ton of bricks. Her heart dropped into her stomach and suddenly she wanted nothing more than to walk out the door, get directly on the airplane, and curl up in the back of her closet, never to emerge. One day her grandchildren would ask her about this trip and her reply would be "Here, have some candy, shut up and go away before I disown you." And that was even _if_ she ever admitted to leaving home in the first place. The sudden (and completely irrational) thought of an Avenger glancing at the video from a security camera and seeing her humiliation made it all the worse.

"Um, I- I think," she swallowed hard and coughed to clear the tremble in her voice, "I- I think I should probably just- just-" she glanced back at the door. At least she didn't have to worry about blushing- Marie had a feeling she'd gone white.

Two security guards were standing inside the lobby on either side of the reception desk chatting with a young man working the phones. One of them- a young woman barely older than Marie- looked up when she coughed and immediately judged the situation. Taking the evident distress on the kid's face as her cue, she promptly excused herself and walked over, glancing at the (confused) receptionist's tablet as she did so, "Are you Marie Richards?"

"No. I mean, um, yes. I was just- I'm just leaving," she turned towards the door quickly and tried to open it, but it appeared to be locked from inside. The nice guard shook his head and refused help.

"I got this Anaiis, thank you," the guard smiled to the receptionist who nodded politely and returned to her seat at the desk. She put a hand on Marie's slumping shoulder and lightly turned her back. "I'm sorry Miss Richards, but we can't let you leave. It's our strictest policy- no one comes in without an appointment, and no one leaves before they've had it. We had a pretty big issue several years ago with a psychic and- well, I won't get into that but if I let you leave everyone in this lobby could lose their job."

"Please-" Marie half-whispered. She felt horrible, looked terrible- why had she even come here? She knew why- it was those stupid kids. She did a good deed, somehow someone found out and a month later she gets a packet. She cursed herself for ever getting involved (not that she'd ever have made a different choice).

The guard saw her eyes beginning to water and stepped closer so they could speak softer, "Hey, it's alright." she steered Marie to a corner, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know why I'm here. I don't know what I expected. I don't belong here," she touched the fabric of her shirt- she'd been so proud of herself for picking out such a nice outfit and now she was just embarrassed. She'd loved it- but it would always be a reminder of this horrific day.

The guard eyeballed her, "We'll take the stairs the first few flights, OK? Give us time to calm those nerves?" Marie had no choice but to follow her to the stairwell- to get the humiliation over with as soon as possible.

"I don't have to see anyone but the lady in HR, right?" she was desperate for a silver lining.

"The lady in HR?" the guard was confused as they stepped up.

Marie pulled out the only thing in the packet specific to this leg of the trip- a one page letter requesting a meeting to "discuss unusual occurrences in your area". She glanced at the name printed at the bottom, "Miss Inessa Ryker?"

"Oh, yeah, well- she's not HR, actually..."

Marie's heart sank, "Security?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

She was quiet for a flight while she worked up her courage to ask what she had been dreading, "This is about Kyle... Isn't it?"

The guard kept looking ahead as she recited, "Sergeant Kyle Richards, AKA _the Crocodile_. Hydra interrogation specialist for five years. Killed by Bruce Banner's Hulk in Sokovia before the war with Ultron." The guard glanced back at Marie, "I read your file. He came up a few times."

"I'm nothing like him," she whispered fiercely.

"We know you're not. He's all over your medical history. Burns, broken bones, _extracted_ fingernails, the two severed toes- trust me. No one who sees that will ever think you were in league with him. He was a textbook sociopath. With a kick."

Marie nodded and swallowed hard, "Do you know what his power was?"

The guard shook her head, "Just theories. His Hydra file was destroyed with half of Sokovia."

"Persuasion." the guard's expression darkened at that, "He could make you believe whatever he told you. That's why it took so long for him to finally be sent away. He'd have come home within a day, if Hydra hadn't recruited him. All he'd have to do was tell the police I lost those toes in an accident- they'd believe him in an instant. They wouldn't have a choice. Until he died none of us realized exactly what he was. What he'd been doing to the animals on the farm or the children at school."

"The psychic dies, their illusions sometimes go with them. No one knows why," the guard sighed. "The policy- meeting before you leave- that's because of a psychic with the same damn powers. Five and a half years ago. It ended with the Falcon trying to kill Captain America, and Tony Stark conducting illegal experiments on another Avenger."

Marie nearly missed a step, "Seriously?"

"Can I tell you a secret?" Marie nodded, "They've had their eye on you since they figured out Kyle was an inherent gifted. What files the Avengers did retrieve before the Ultron issue mentioned he had a family. That put you on a watch list."

"When you say 'They've had their eye on you', you don't mean-?" Marie's heart-rate doubled. The guard just nodded, "And they let me in the Tower still?"

"Like I said, no one believes you and Kyle have anything but parents in common. If you were a psychic, that would be a different story, but from what I've heard, you are cut from a very different cloth."

Marie was actually proud of her power, "After the first few burns from Kyle it just kind of started up. I can draw heat from any source and transfer it to another. At first it was little things- a hot drink or the air out of a hairdryer (what Kyle had tried to burn her with)- but eventually it was matches, pans from the oven, an overheated engine. Not too long before I got the packet I put out a fire on our back field!" That was the achievement she took the most joy from- and the most fear. Three kids were in the middle of that fire, and Marie had a feeling they'd seen her through the smoke.

"That's pretty awesome," the guard was impressed. Marie smiled, her nerves forgotten.

"Secret number two?" she'd wanted to say it earlier, but now was as good a time as any as they passed the third floor door. Marie nodded again, "Anaiis? She gets a bit crazy with the tourists always looking in through the windows. You shouldn't compare yourself to her. Most people who work here wear jeans and corny t-shirts. There are theme days- I kid you not I have seen our CEO herself come in dressed like it was the 1980s. You look fine. Very professional."

That helped more than the idle chatter to improve Marie's mood. Her smile grew, "Really? It's OK? Miss Ryker won't think I'm under-dressed?"

"Most people who meet Miss Ryker come in muddy or bloody. Trust me- she'd be happy if you came to the meeting in _pajamas_ , just so long as they didn't have to clean the carpets behind you."

Marie's smile turned into a frown, "Muddy or bloody? What exactly does Miss Ryker do for Tower Security?"

"Not a thing," the guard shook her head and smiled, " _Avengers_ security however..."

"Wait- what?" Marie stopped dead in her tracks.

"Want to take the elevator the rest of the way up? The Avengers _begin_ on the 115th floor. It's kind of a hike." She went up the rest of the flight and swiped her badge to access the fifth floor. Marie followed, but she didn't give up the question.

"What do you mean Avengers security?"

Just inside the door was an elevator. As soon as the guard pressed the button, it opened. She ushered Marie inside and held up a hand before the girl could repeat her question. "What floor please?" a woman's voice came from the speaker above them.

"A-1."

"Of course, madam." Marie jumped as the voice changed to that of a British man, "Ah, you must be Miss Richards. Welcome to Avengers Tower."

"Is that- are you-?"

"Just Another Rather Very Intelligent System. JARVIS. I assist Master Stark and all Avengers within any of our facilities."

Marie's mouth fell open, her question was completely forgotten, "It's- it's really nice to meet you, Mister JARVIS."

"The pleasure is all mine. How are you finding New York so far?"

This was utterly unbelievable, surreal, terrifying, and amazing all rolled into one, "It's incredible. I've always wanted to come here. There are so many things to see."

There was a small _ding_ and the doors opened, "Well, I do hope you enjoy your stay at Avengers Tower. If you would like, I can provide maps and pamphlets to any number of touring destinations in and around the city."

"Yes, please. Thank you!" she replied quickly as she followed the guard out and the doors to the elevator closed- then immediately felt stupid. He was freakin' JARVIS- he could probably hear her from anywhere in the Tower. If half the rumors were true, he could probably hear her through her own cell phone.

The guard just chuckled, then pointed at the elevator they'd exited, "That one goes to the Tower," she pointed to another directly in front of them etched with the Avengers 'A', "That's the Avengers private elevator- it goes from any of their floors to their parking garage. JARVIS operates that one by himself, it is probably the most secure elevator in the world." They were in a relatively small entryway- just the hallway the elevators were in, a door for a private stairwell, and two large mahogany doors. The floor was thickly carpeted, absorbing the sounds of their footsteps. Marie was outside of the Avengers headquarters- their _home._ She felt like she was trespassing on sacred ground, "You ready?"

She couldn't think of any reply but, "My legs don't work," popped out of her mouth. Her question came back to her suddenly, "What did you mean by 'Avengers security'? Who's Inessa Ryker?"

JARVIS' voice clicked back on at the question- scaring the living daylights out of Marie, "Nadya Antonia Emilia Ryker, commonly known as Inessa, Nessie, or Nessa. Avengers Codename: The Shadow."

"I was planning on breaking that to her slowly," the guard sounded slightly annoyed.

"Master Stark has misplaced a member of his team, he would like you to locate him. It is quite urgent," Marie was breaking out in a cold sweat, but JARVIS' words barely registered. It didn't sound like something the guard could even help with. Unless-

 _No way, not possible._

"Is it Thomas?"

 _There's no way._

"Yes, it is."

 _Holy mother of god._

"Alright, hold on. But make sure Tony knows he totally screwed me over." The guard raised her hand and a young man appeared in front of them in a burst of black mist, "Stop wandering off!" she lowered it and the man vanished the same way.

There was a pause, then JARVIS came back on, "Master Stark sends his apologies and gratitude."

The guard looked over at Marie apologetically, "Sorry... It's- in my experience it's easier to interview people if they don't know they're being interviewed."

"You're-" Marie's voice was a squeak. She clamped a shaking hand over her mouth.

"Inessa, Nessie, Nessa, like he said, I'll answer to any of those."

Marie shouldn't have taken her hand off her mouth, because when she did, "But you're human?" came out. Instantly, she was red with embarrassment.

"That's been debated," Inessa just shrugged. "The media decided a long time ago I wasn't, I just never corrected them."

"Avengers Black Ops... Why does Avengers Black Ops need to meet with me?" she was in a complete daze.

Inessa thought for a moment, then nodded to herself, "Meeting's over. Now it's a job offer."

All that came out was a squeak.

Inessa held out a hand and an envelope appeared in a small puff of mist. Marie recognized the handwriting on it, but it didn't seem possible, "After what you did with that fire your mother sent us a letter. You've kept a small enough profile we didn't know for sure what your powers were, but she laid them out for us. The fire got our attention- but your other work was what impressed us. You've lowered children's fevers, kept temperatures down in your school when the AC broke during a heatwave-"

"The kids were getting sick-"

"-and suddenly the whole school is a cool 68 degrees."

"I'm not a hero," Marie didn't know how to express what she was thinking, "I'm not enough to be anything like that."

Inessa frowned, "Not enough what?"

"Not brave enough-"

"You ran into a burning field to save 3 kids."

"Not smart enough-"

"Third in your class."

"Not... unusual enough."

"Right," Inessa nodded, "because everyone has your powers."

"Not special enough," Marie was getting frustrated, she didn't like having to explain why she was unqualified for the greatest job in the world anyone, including her, would kill to even dream of being offered.

"Do you know who I am?"

Marie nodded, "The Shadow."

She shook her head, "A kid with a German-Russian father, Russian mother, born in Kazakhstan, raised in Chicago. I grew up mostly in soup kitchens with an alcoholic uncle calling me 'little bitch' ever since I was 5. I half-lived in the public library because at least there was heat and warm water. Captain America? He was a runty guy with a voice too deep for his scrawny little body essentially squatting in his apartment after his parents died during the Great Depression. His life expectancy was what- 30? Optimistically? Hawkeye ran away from foster care and joined the circus. I could tell you 30 stories of 30 Avengers who's origins are just as 'un-special' as yours. Thor and Tony Stark are really the only ones exceptional from the beginning, or at least they pretend so. Vision? He's just an odd case across the board." Marie laughed slightly.

"None of us are anything more than people doing our best to help. We just have more tricks up our sleeves than some- and that's not even a requirement to be an Avenger. Agent 13 doesn't have any superpowers, but she's the Lieutenant of Captain America's team. My lieutenant is a weird Asian kid with a weird name who's claim to fame is that his IQ is very very high. That could be a superpower- we're really not sure if it's natural or not. Like I said, he's got a lot of weird going on." That got a bigger laugh.

Inessa smiled, "You don't have to accept the offer right now. In fact, for anyone with parents or guardians it isn't allowed. You've got to go inside, get the fear-inducing-speech about how you'll probably see horrible things or die a horrible death for one week straight, and only _then_ are you offered the job for real."

"A week?" Marie was stunned, "I get to come visit Avengers Tower every day for a _week_?"

"Oh no, you don't visit. You stay here for a week. Meet the teams- Thor, Steve, and myself are in-residence here, so that's 11 Avengers. Talk to them, shadow on a few missions- pun intended- and decide if it's what you want to do."

"That sounds fair, actually..." _What the hell, right? Doesn't dad always say try something before you say you can't do it? If I screw it up at least I can tell the story of how I was almost an Avenger, not how I turned down the chance at being one?_ She wanted to accept more than anything, she just had trouble saying it. "If you really think I'm anything near Avengers material..." Marie looked away.

"Come on. Let's get out of the hallway."

Walking into the lobby of Avengers Tower was as surreal as the rest of her visit. The layout and interior were never revealed to the general public, and Marie had always imagined something in chrome with shining white floors and a big circular meeting table surrounded by flat screen monitors with feeds from every news station in the world. In reality it was nothing short of homey.

The Lobby was a large space, mostly filled with low-back leather couches and recliners. Several low coffee tables were stacked with books, files, or forgotten coffee mugs in all shapes, sizes, and designs (Marie expected some official Avengers design, not a Hodge-podge of musical-themed mugs, ceramic animals, and very sarcastic jokes). The ceiling was two stories high and criss-crossed with beams and rafters, many of which appeared to be home to cup holders, tables, and throw pillows braced against the wall, as if people spent hours up there. _Of course_ Marie thought, _Hawkeye and his team must go up there when they visit._ Most of the wall to her right was one massive window overlooking New York and a tremendous balcony. It had benches, several potted plants, two helicopter pads (one was silver for some reason), and even an outdoor kitchen area.

"Home sweet home," Inessa smiled. "Any Avenger team can come to the Tower- it's equipped to handle all of them if need be, but Steve Rogers, Thor, and myself are the permanent residents these days. If you ever need to find me just go out to the Avengers elevator or head up the stairs- my level is marked with my symbol- the wolf head. Hammer is Thor, shield is Steve."

As Marie gaped, two people came out from a side hall- an Asian boy (Marie wondered if that was who Inessa had been talking about) and a tall Amazon-esque girl. They wore gym clothes and were arguing over who won a sparring match. The guy glanced over and saw Marie and the conversation immediately stopped. He froze in place, the girl glanced over, and the boy slowly reached up to tap just in front of his ear, "Attention all Tower Avengers. Attention all Avengers," his voice was flat-automatic, "New person spotted in lobby. Fresh meat. I repeat. Fresh meat."

"Oh brother," Inessa rolled her eyes and patted Marie on the shoulder, "I'm about to lose you to a mob. Before you're hijacked-" she pointed to the boy and the girl, who was still watching, intrigued, "the guy is Amadeus Cho, my lieutenant. The girl is Noelle Martinez. Both of them are Shadow Unit, so stick by Noelle to learn the ropes, and stick by Amadeus to see what _not_ to do." Inessa's tone was playful and she spoke loudly enough for them to hear.

Several footsteps echoed down a set of stairs on the far side of the lobby, accompanied by talking and random shouts. Six people came down at once. Inessa held up her hands to stop them, "Don't scare her away." she gave Marie a light shove towards the group and they immediately swarmed her, asking questions and introducing themselves and overall acting surprisingly like most young adults. "Cho- I need you for a second."

"I'll catch up to you later," Amadeus called to the others as they swept Marie up towards the other levels of the Tower. He came over to Inessa with his trademark grin, "What's up boss?"

Inessa waited for Noelle to head up the steps behind the mob. She pulled out her tinted contact lenses while they waited and tossed them in a nearby bin. As soon as Noelle disappeared her smile vanished. An ice cold glare replaced it (expertly emphasized by the silver eyes) and Amadeus gulped, "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Tell me what?" he tried to smile, but Inessa didn't budge. He imagined he could hear Nadya growling- wait, was it imagination? He turned around to check.

"You're a shit liar Amadeus. I know you've been looking for _him_. This is the third time. You didn't even know him. No one else wants him here, so why won't you let it go?"

Amadeus sighed, "During the Civil War, while you stayed behind to keep an eye on Tony, Steve saved my life. He stopped the goons that dickhead Pythagoras sent after me and he did everything he could to try and save my family. He doesn't talk about it, but I know it bothers him what happened all those years ago. I'm not trying to bring _him_ in. I just want to track him down for Steve and give him the option of talking it out. It's the least I could do to repay him. Besides, I don't see how it's a big deal- I've never even gotten close. The guy's off the grid."

Inessa shook her head, "Steve's the one who made the rule at _his_ request. If he wanted to find him again, he'd ask. I'll keep your latest attempt quiet, but no more." Amadeus looked away and Inessa followed his motion so he was forced to maintain eye contact with her, "Promise me, or-"

"-or you'll throw me out of the Avengers?" it _was_ the posted punishment- though only Amadeus was stubborn enough to test that.

"Worse. Stop looking or _I_ quit the Avengers and _you_ have to lead the Shadow Unit."

"Killing me would be kinder." Amadeus liked to be a member of the team- not a leader. It was a genuinely terrifying notion.

"Promise me." Inessa wouldn't let it go.

Amadeus looked away, but she waited, patient. After a few grumbles and a sigh he finally caved, "I swear on Thanos' bloated purple corpse burning in the crater of a volcano that on the threat of the pain of leadership I won't go looking for _him_ again." he looked at Inessa, "And this time I mean it."

"Thank you." Inessa nodded towards the stairs to signal to Amadeus that he was free to go join the others. _He_ wanted to abandon the Avengers. That was _his_ decision. Inessa was not about to allow anyone to bring James Buchanan Barnes back into Avengers Tower.

* * *

For story notes visit **ProjectEchoFanfic** dot **tumblr** dot **com**


	6. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: After the Explosion- The Nomad**

No one in the village knew when the Nomad arrived. One day things were perfectly normal at the little Buddhist temple, the next there was a stranger with one arm sitting amongst the other monks. He kept himself shrouded, never spoke, and rarely participated in any activity that put him in a room with the normal population, but he seemed to be ever present, always watching, and in his wake came dozens of little miracles.

It all started with shoes.

While the local village was well below the poverty line, one man in particular had lived a sad life. His wife died in a winter blizzard and, mere weeks later, his son joined the armies helping to fight against one super-villain or another. He never made it home. Still, the elder was adamant he would survive without burdening his neighbors for any favor- though they'd have been more than willing. The man's winter shoes were threadbare, thin, and by far inadequate for the climate in Nepal.

No one knew how the Nomad found out. One day the stranger vanished, as suddenly as he'd appeared. All who'd seen him assumed he had continued on whatever path he set himself to, but a week later he was back, wheeling a small cart piled high with the spoils of a very lucrative hunt- far more than a one armed man should have been able to manage.

The meat went to the temple to give out freely to any who asked. The furs were tanned by those monks who knew how. Every day the old man made his cold journey to pray at the temple for his son and his wife. As was custom, he removed his shoes inside the doors and placed them in a small cubbyhole. One day when he left- without ceremony, embellishment, or even a note- newly crafted fur-lined boots were inside. The old man thought it must have been an accident- he'd mistaken the cubby, but the head monk simply shook his head and told the man some miracles simply needed to be received with the same loving spirit they were provided. The old man wore them proudly the rest of his days.

After that first miracle others quickly followed. They were always simple things, little things, but they were things that helped improve the lives of the hardworking villagers. Schoolchildren found wooden toys carved from blocks of wood (which the Nomad had to brace between his feet as he worked), leaky roofs would be mysteriously repaired, feral animals no longer harassed people on the roads- when blizzards prevented people from using the paths and firewood ran low it was left in bundles on their porches each morning- and all tracks led back to the temple.

It all began when the Nomad arrived. None who sought him to offer their thanks could catch a whisper or even more than a glimpse. He was a ghost. One Autumn when a strange Asian boy came looking to meet with him, the ghost vanished and was never seen in the village again.

* * *

No matter the region, no matter how remote, the Nomad was always dubbed with the same name. He stayed in temples or monasteries, kept his vow of silence, and worked little miracles for anyone who needed them. When he could, he'd hunt and turn animal skins into blankets, bones into tools or jewelry or simply give them to dogs to play with. He never kept the meat of his kills for himself- it always went to those struggling. No one knew the Nomad was haunted by his failed attempt at being a hero- to them he already was.

He only stayed in villages that could use his help. Others where neighbors were able to help care for the poor or old he would pass by. He never went within fifty miles of anything larger than a few dozen huts. No towns. No cities. Nowhere on the grid. He heard nothing when Captain America died, or when Thanos attacked. In his seclusion he was oblivious to all outside events. The corners of the world he went to were untouched by war- at least the kind that attracted or even knew of the Avengers.

Once, in a remote corner of Thailand, he left abruptly in the middle of meditation, stunning the monks around him. He stood behind a thick screen and watched as a young woman entered the temple with a young child in her arms. She hadn't changed a bit. The Nomad smiled to himself when he saw her. Was she wearing colored contacts, or had her eyes changed back from silver? What brought her to this place- clearly she wasn't looking for him. She turned the child over to the care of the monks- explaining that the infant had been kidnapped from his home by dangerous men. The only thing she could understand was the name of the village. The boy seemed to have family there. The monks accepted their charge and the woman left. When she came back a few days later to check on the boy, the Nomad was already gone.

* * *

After that it was two years and two villages before anything unusual happened again. He moved on from one temple to the next as his village grew more prosperous. Once upon a time he had been a soldier, forced to fight both for his friends and against them. The Nomad had banished himself from that life to this, and he cared greatly for the work he was doing, but as he recovered the pieces of himself that had been cut away he grew restless and began to miss those he left behind. He told himself he was not willing to return, but he couldn't banish the daydream.

Then the girls vanished.

The Nomad was woken by the cries of their families as they came to the temple to pray. A day prior, two jeeps full of armed men drove through the village to the small school building, pulled the children from class, and sped away. The Nomad knew he could get to them- he was more accomplished at hunting human prey than he was willing to admit.

Authorities were usually better equipped to handle such issues, but they were an hours drive away, didn't know the land in this area, and rains were coming to wash away the tracks of the attackers. There was no time, he had to step in. The Nomad swore he'd kill none, only rescue the children. Once they were safe he could point authorities in their direction, then go even deeper underground. _No killing_. He strapped a knife to his leg. _None_. He strapped another on. _No one dies_. A third knife was slipped into his boot.

The kidnappers were idiots, as it turned out. They drove off in a straight line through dense grassland to their camp with only basic effort to camouflage their path. Amateurs- most human slavers were. It was those they supplied to you had to watch for.

Around twenty miles from the village the tracks ended in twin craters, still smouldering. Bits of jeep, twisted guns, and chunks of people remained- thankfully nothing small enough to be the children. He circled the crater, trying to piece together what happened, but his mind came up blank. No other tire marks to show someone waiting, no footprints. If a helicopter had hovered while the girls were sent up, then bombed the caravan it would have made sense- but the tall grass around the area would have been bent by wind, the ground more disturbed. This made no sense.

The Nomad circled once more in the fading afternoon, further out this time. He found a small shelter tucked into the trees, maybe the former home of a hermit or an old hunting cabin. There were signs that visitors had been there very recently. When he entered, the first thing he noticed was something traced in the thick dust on the floor next to where someone had been sitting- a snarling wolf head. Not far off, next to another print, was a very distinct "A" inside a circle.

It clicked, and he knew precisely what happened to the children. They were alive, no doubt, and very safe indeed. He smiled to himself- it was lucky he brought his knives. He couldn't go back to the village. _They_ would be there. If he was right in what the wolf head meant, _she_ would be there.

He was wrapped up in nostalgia, in pride for his old comrades, and even in memory- so much so that he missed the soft _click_ of the gun being primed. Something sharp hit him in the neck and the Nomad fell into the cabin without a fight.

* * *

A shower of icy water blasted him awake. The Nomad dangled lopsided from one arm that was cuffed to a chain hanging from the ceiling. It was pulled tight enough that the metal cut into his arm. Two more chains and leather cuffs secured his feet in place. He was angry now- mostly at himself.

The man who threw the water was short, flat-faced, and stood with the mean scowl and overly straight back of a minion. At best. The Nomad could spot career military a mile away- but there was no cunning in his tiny eyes, no intelligence. This sort of man, if he got anywhere in life, was given tasks as humiliation to those better qualified who'd displeased their seniors. A tool to mock the _real_ threats. Ask this one a tough question and he'd probably start smoking at the ears. He was probably a whipper.

"Where is my cargo?" his voice was as pinched as his face. The tone grated on the Nomad's ears.

"You know who you lost those girls to," it felt strange to speak again. His voice sounded odd to his ears.

"I do not ask _who_ took them, I demand to know where they go!" his poor little face turned purple as he shouted.

There was no way to escape, not with how his hand was chained, but the Nomad wasn't afraid. He'd been trained to withstand interrogation the mere descriptions of which would make this man wet himself. "I don't know."

"You liar! You _will_ say!" he snapped his fingers and a man came in from the shadows at the edges of the large room to bring a rolling card to his "leader". It was covered with a cloth. The man dramatically whisked off the sheet. A pitcher of lemon juice, and a whip. _I fucking knew it._

"Kill me." Nomad's request made the man smile.

"Not so brave now, huh? Wishing you talk sooner? Save your words- you had chance. Now I get to play."

The Nomad shook his head as the man picked up the whip, "Still not gonna talk, I just don't want to spend the next 6 months hanging here until you cave and call in a _real_ professional. I could give you pointers, if you'd like."

Maybe he'd isolated himself too much. Maybe his little acts of kindness had slowly created a longing in him for his old life, for his friends...

Maybe he just liked pissing the little man off.

He took his lashes with teasing and goading- "Your arm is as weak as your chin! Once more, with feeling! Can you aim a bit lower- I've got an itch." The little man was enraged, be he was still nowhere near being on par with what the Nomad had seen _real_ professionals do. What he'd done himself once upon another life.

It hurt, sure. Blood made the floor so slick he hung by his arm as often as he stood on his own two feet, but he never cried out. Never showed weakness. Not even when the lemon juice burned his skin and guaranteed he'd have even more scars. He'd known worse.

Anyone with half a brain could see the Avengers had staked their claim on the rescue (though human trafficking was a bit outside the normal operations Nomad remembered, not that he was complaining), who was this runt to even dream of challenging that?

* * *

After a couple days the Nomad had lost his patience and teasing tone. After a couple _weeks_ he was suffering more under the pain in his arm than anything the increasingly frustrated little man had done. The Nomad lost his cocky, teasing tone. He went back to silence. Eventually the man went to every torturer's fallback- starvation and sleep deprivation. Guaranteed to work on anyone.

The man had been starved before, but it never got easier. The gnawing pain, the thirst, the exhaustion. His body ached inside and out. He could survive it longer than a normal man, but feeling like your insides were rotting? The friction as your dry throat moved with each breath? It was a curse, not a blessing to live through that for so long. His idiot torturer didn't even know that between his exhaustion and his hunger he couldn't even feel the beatings.

In those precious few moments he was left alone, the Nomad would speak as loudly as he could. His tongue was swollen, his voice was reedy, but he kept calling out to the thing he hoped to god was listening in the darkness. To Nadya.

* * *

"My boss tell me to keep you alive until we know who you are. Who might pay for you. Then we kill you and make money. I tell him I am willing to lose pay to make up for killing you. You make me that angry. He says that is fine. The metal on your shoulder is interesting, but no one care you are missing." The idiot kept talking, not seeming to care his words were falling on deaf ears- except for 'kill'. That was mildly interesting at this point. The Nomad was very keenly considering biting his own tongue, just to let the blood wet his throat a bit.

The strain on his eyes from being kept awake for far too long made the man see shades whenever someone moved, even when he simply blinked. Phantom echos of every movement. He didn't know how long the faint vein of silvery mist coiled in the shadow before _she_ came. Nadya. Finally.

The man who tormented him had left the room, two of his guards remained, but her entry wasn't strategic. More likely she came as soon as she was able. A black wolf exploded from the silver mist and tore through both guards before they knew what was happening. Her master came in her wake.

She had changed so much, even since the brief glimpse he had of her two years ago. She was older, of course, clearly in fighting shape. Her eyes moved slowly, patiently- last he'd seen she constantly twitched them, constantly watched what was around her. The confidence in her movements, the casual danger she projected- if it didn't take too much effort he'd have smiled.

She watched him hanging for a moment, then glanced at the wolf. It ambled over with a wagging tail and slashed at the chains around his feet- he didn't even feel them go slack. He hadn't been able to stand for a long time. The wolf vanished and a moment later the little man came back. "Who are-" the woman spun around, pulled a long scythe from its sheath on her hip, and embedded the end of it in his neck. She tore away and the man choked as he tried to stop the torrent of blood squirting from him. She turned her back on him as if he were a minor distraction. An annoying fly.

In the shadows above the Nomad the wolf lashed out and severed the chain where it bolted to the ceiling. He fell to the ground and closed his eyes, relishing in the feeling of the cold stone on his cheek.

"Get up," her voice was cold, pitiless. He felt himself drifting off. She growled slightly and came over to lift his eyelids, "Get. The fuck. Up." He couldn't, and he didn't even mind. He wasn't even conscious. She however did mind. "You have 12 hours. Make the most of it," she snapped.

The Nomad didn't even feel it when the wolf picked up the end of his chain and dragged him into the Valley.

* * *

Bucky felt like he'd gone from zero to sixty in the span of a few heartbeats. One second he was blissfully oblivious, warm and alone and lost in a dreamless sleep. The next he was gasping as his heart rate exploded. His body ached in protest to every movement- bones screamed, muscles cramped- if it weren't for her face over him he'd have thought the rescue had been a dream and he was still hanging from that ceiling.

"Time's up," she pulled a needle from his arm and tossed it into a collection box. Adrenaline, most likely. "Get your ass out of bed. We're on the clock." Inessa's voice was as cold as her eyes when she looked at Bucky. He didn't remember ever seeing her this angry.

"Wh-what?" his thoughts were slow, but he realized eventually his throat was no longer dry. His tongue hurt, but it was normal sized. Bucky looked down at his arm and saw an IV there. More ports went behind his knees and judging by the sting in his neck she'd hooked him up there as well. Now, though, she was pulling the IVs out without mercy.

"Get. Up. We. Have. To. Move." How long had she been this angry? Now that he had the chance to really look he could see the signs of long-term stress. Her skin was pale and tight, her eyes were sunken in with deep, dark circles under them, her hair was clean, but it hung limp and thin from the tie that held it back.

"It's good to see you again," Bucky winced as she yanked out the needle in his neck.

"Good? GOOD?" Inessa snarled, "I've been looking for you for a goddamn MONTH! You're lucky Nadya was looking for you or else you'd still be in that place! Do you have any idea how far behind you've put me? Thanks to you and that disappearing act they could all be DEAD!"

A shiver went down his spine. The memory of a nightmare stirred, "What happened? Are the others nearby? Are they alright?"

"You tell me," Inessa raised her hand and the small room darkened. She kicked the cot, overturning it and sending Bucky tumbling into a shadow.

* * *

Bucky tumbled out of the darkness and into a disaster zone. Everything in the wide hallway had been bombed out. Anything left was blackened and scorched to cinders. A thin light- the setting sun outside- cast everything into shades of blue. He looked up, but above him were only twisted, half melted beams holding small chunks of blasted building here and there. "No," Bucky moaned as his nightmare came back in vivid detail, "Please, please no."He moved stiffly, lost in a fog. It was a hallucination from the torture, it had to be. Glass and debris crunched under the slippers Inessa had put on his feet while he slept. A twisted-splintered mass to his left blocked part of the path. As Bucky peered at it to gauge his footing, he saw something peaking out. A photograph. Steve, Natasha, Clint, Banner, Thor, Sam, Tony- in his dreams he never noticed the girls on the outside of the line. Their faces were burned away but he knew Inessa's uniform. The man in the center he still couldn't place- was he wearing a purple shirt or _was_ he purple?

He looked at the devastation around him and shuddered. His body ached all over, his lips were cracked and bleeding, whatever drugs Inessa had given him were holding him together- but seeing the ruin, knowing what was coming, it was too much.

It had been so long since Bucky had been inside the Tower. As he stumbled around collapsed beams and unrecognizable debris he saw small flashes of the past: wrestling with Thor in the gym, his birthday in the lobby commons, fixing engines, watching Banner and Stark work, the prank war at the farm, playing cards in the meeting room- so many fun things. And so many horrible ones. Killing Dimitri Aristov slowly in a Chicago motel, lying to Steve, letting a traumatized 16 year old lead him into a bloody fight, rage, arguments, lectures and apologies. Bucky's heart ached from it all.

The silence of the Tower pressed in on him- smothering, suffocating. Where were the Avengers? He knew- it had been more than five years since the last nightmare- but he knew. Bucky carried the picture with him as he made his way to the balcony one leaden step at a time. Near where the med lab had been a door still stood. It was covered in jagged claw marks dripping silver poison. Bucky was so lost in his nostalgia he forgot he only had the one arm and tried to reach out. _Probably not the best idea anyways_. He couldn't survive the Shadow's poison, not when he felt so weak.

Now that he knew where he was- what would happen, he took stock of Inessa as he exited to the balcony. It was the uniform he'd always seen- dense black reinforced pants, Kevlar enhanced tank top, four guards to protect her fore and upper arms while leaving the joints free, twin scythes hanging from open holsters- even the black fingerless gloves. Icy chills went down his spine when he saw it- Tony's old five-pronged device planted once again on the back of her neck. Tony swore he'd never put it on her again. What changed?

"What happened here?" he whispered, afraid to disturb the silence of the tomb.

"You're the one who was supposed to stop it." Her voice was hard, challenging, "You brought it here. You said it would be safe... Where the hell were you when everything burned?"

"You asked for my help," it was like living through a repeat of a nightmare- he couldn't stop himself from following the script he'd been given so many years ago, "at least tell me what did all of this." _At least tell me you didn't do all of this_.

"As if you didn't know this would happen when you abandoned us." Her shoulders tensed suddenly- Inessa was on high alert, "Turn around."

Bucky spun to face the ruined Tower. He heard things in the dark- rustling footsteps, shifting weight. Something or someone was watching. A head ducked as he scanned. Bucky took a step forward, but someone walked out just to his left.

His suit was off white, streaked with red. His wing unit was strapped on, but they weren't out. The box was smaller than before, more compact. He held a gun out in front of him, trained on Inessa. He was practically snarling, "Sam?"

"Good to see you too, now get the fuck out of my way," Sam snapped and twitched his gun to the side. Bucky opened his mouth to ask what the hell was going on, but Sam cut him off, "Don't think I won't shoot through you to kill that little bitch. I won't even lose any sleep over it."

It was the Sam from his final vision- twisted, dark, he meant every word of it. One of the people in the shadows moved quickly to one side to cover Inessa from a second angle. Bucky only saw the end of the rifle as it was raised. Inessa kept her lies locked on Sam, she ignored Marie.

"On behalf of SHIELD, the Counsel of Yggdrasil, the Realm of Asgard, the United Nations Security Counsel, Interpol, the CIA, MI-6, and about a dozen other agencies, I've been given the _honor_ of declaring you an enemy of the peace, traitor, and war criminal. You've been found guilty in the deaths of Antony Stark, Steven Rogers, Natalia Romanova, Clinton Barton, Robert Banner, and Prince Thor of Asgard."

None of this was news to Inessa, "Don't I get a trial?" she mocked him. Bucky wasn't moving until this made sense. He remained planted between the two- still holding that photo.

"There's only one sentence for the likes of you."

From among the ruins a spotlight shone suddenly, flooding the area. Bucky stumbled under the force of the frequency. The one they'd used to control Inessa's powers. She grabbed Bucky and, just as she'd done many years before, she threw him off the balcony into the gathering night, then jumped after him.

As they fell, lights slammed on from both the undamaged floors of the tower and the building across the street, flooding the area with light. As Bucky fell, he twisted to look up at Inessa.

She was smiling.

Her eyes burned silver and black smoke rolled from her arms. She grabbed his wrist and exploded into shadow, dragging Bucky through into the Valley with her.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: 119-118 Days Before the Explosion**

Within an hour the mob no longer felt like a mob. Marie joked and laughed with the Avengers as if they were peers, and as she heard their stories of heroics (only mildly exaggerated) it sounded more and more like a group she really could be a part of. Noelle was reserved, but nice. She was dating Geoff, a teleporter from Steve's team and the two were never far apart. Amadeus had an odd sense of humor but he knew how to handle the room and keep everyone from getting too rowdy. Even though he told her several times he never wanted to lead, Marie was unconvinced- based on what she'd seen so far he was doing perfectly without much effort.

"The only problem with being in Shadow-Ops is that if we do our jobs right then no one knows who we are," Amadeus let out a dramatic sigh.

 _You also don't have to fight for your superhero name_ , the Avenger known (ironically) as 'Echo', Maya Lopez, signed to Geoff who translated for those who needed it. Noelle quickly explained to Marie that there was a long running mock-feud between her and Inessa over who had rights to the name- not that Inessa wanted to give up being the Shadow. Maya had chosen the name before she became an Avenger and for whatever reason Inessa also had a claim on it. It was the subject of many jokes.

"I had a superhero name all picked out too, Mastermind Excello," Amadeus struck a pose.

"Thank god you're Shadow-Ops."

"Don't take him too seriously," T'Challa (technically _King_ T'Challa) leaned over towards Marie, "he loves being Inessa's lieutenant. The _mystery_ of it all."

"Damn skippy."

They traded banter for several minutes more. While Maya and the boys went off on a tangent, Noelle chatted with Marie, "So, any questions so far?"

She hadn't thought of anything major yet, but something popped into her mind, "Any big rules I should know?"

"No cats allowed," three Avengers said this simultaneously.

"Vision visits with Wanda- Scarlet Witch- fairly regularly, she and Inessa are best friends," Noelle explained, "and for whatever reason all cats hate him. Like, as a species. It gets ugly fast. Besides, Inessa has her wolves-"

"-by the way, Inessa has wolves," Amadeus cut in.

"-and Thor has... something he treats like a dog, plus the Tower has a PTSD-dog-"

"-we got him from Hydra. They were testing super soldier serum, so only Steve, Thor, or Natasha can walk him. If you try and he sees a pigeon, you _will_ break your clavicle."

Noelle smirked at Amadeus, "Three dog or dog-like creatures. Cats wouldn't do so well here. That's more of a Tower rule than Avengers rule though."

"Even though every base has that rule," Amadeus pointed out, "also, no smoking and no hiding other people's gear."

"Right. _Anyways_ , there's only one official Avengers-wide rule. If a recruit doesn't want to be part of the team, we don't force them. So long as no one causes any issues, we are not allowed to seek them out again."

"No," Amadeus countered, "it's that we're not allowed to look for Bucky Barnes specifically."

"He's an urban legend," Geoff playfully punched Amadeus in the arm, "give it up."

To his credit, Amadeus kept quiet. Only a handful of Avengers knew for sure Bucky was a live. To the others it was a myth passed amongst the members _not_ part of the original Avengers or the lieutenants. "Um, OK," Marie had heard of Captain America's former friend, the fallen Howling Commando. She figured if he were out there then the Captain would have brought him into the team already. Hell, he'd probably be a leader.

 _Unofficial rules we go by here,_ Maya sighed to Geoff, _no messing with anyone's private life. Even if it's a prank. Dates and family time are sacred_.

"No putting 'Ice May Be Hazardous to Steve's Health' signs on the refrigerators," T'Challa snickered.

"No talking Vision into hiding Thor's hammer. Especially not inside or under something breakable," Geoff looked pointedly at Amadeus, who bowed.

"No playing cards against Inessa for money," Kelsey's comment got a round of agreement from everyone.

"No mattress surfing down the stairs or base jumping from the balcony," Muhammad, an oracle and one of the older members of the teams at 29, laughed.

"No eating anything cooked by Thor unless its creation was supervised by literally _anyone_ else," flying Avenger Jessica's rules sounded more like a warning.

"No feeding the dogs dairy products then locking them in someone's room for an hour," Raj, master of invisibility, glared at T'Challa.

"There is a folder on the servers called 'Project Echo Security', the icon is a red 'X'," Noelle didn't joke with the others, "never watch it. Ever. JARVIS never erases intel, but that case has been closed for five years. Don't click the file."

Marie was surprised by how the others looked away. A few- Amadeus, Kelsey, and T'Challa looked like they'd be ill, "Is it alright to ask what it is? Specifics aren't necessary, just- is it why Maya and Inessa argue over the name Echo?" Maya had signed before that she'd only been a member of the team for two years.

No one wanted to answer the question. It hung in the air for a moment before Kelsey answered, "Hydra torture footage. Quite brutal."

"Why do they even have it?"

Amadeus took this one, and he didn't even joke about it, "A Hydra experiment in the mid-90s went haywire, everyone died except for a fetus no one knew about. The kid's uncle delivered her and brought her to the US. He didn't know she had powers at first, but when she was 14 he sold her to Hydra and they classified her recruitment as Project Echo. They tortured her for two years. That's what's in that file- every minute of it."

"What happened to her?"

"After two years she lost her mind and Hydra stuck her in a cryo tube until the Avengers got to her. They got the footage and the file before the Second Battle of New York as a way to identify both the kid and the evil monster-thing that kept attacking them from the shadows."

A shiver went up Marie's spine, "Inessa?"

Amadeus nodded, "She was in her guard uniform when you walked with her. Next time you see her in a t-shirt or shorts take a look at the skin. Most of her body is scarred. The thing attacking the Avengers was Inessa in her Shadow form- it's why we call her the Shadow, that's what _they_ called the monster. She was trying to kill herself, they were in the way."

"Along that vein," Muhammad spoke up again, "never- even as a joke- call anyone 'little bitch' in earshot of her. If Steve does not kill you first, she will."

Marie just nodded, stunned. Inessa was captured by Hydra- her _parents_ were Hydra. An Avengers leader with so many ties to the terrorist group, it was no wonder she was understanding about Kyle.

"Sometimes Inessa is fun and crazy and too much like Amadeus. Sometimes she is withdrawn and prefers to be alone," Noelle motioned to the group, emphasizing her absence, "when that happens, don't be offended. It isn't personal- she just has her good days and her bad days, like any of us. That's the biggest thing you need to know about her."

"That and never act against her in the twice yearly Avengers-wide prank war. Make yourself small and non-threatening and hope she doesn't see you," Amadeus' comment brought the energy back up in the room as the teams began swapping stories of this prank or that. The somber mood was broken and Noelle winked to him to show her gratitude.

"Marie, do you really want to get to know the Avengers?"

"Of course!"

"Then my next question is this: have you ever played 'Cards Against Humanity'?"

It turned out that for a group dubbed "Earth's Mightiest Heroes", the Avengers had impressively filthy minds. The two quietest of the group- Muhammad and Noelle- vied for the most points while the others were just happy to come in third. The game lasted until well into the early hours of the morning.

* * *

"Shadow Team Assemble," Inessa appeared abruptly in the corner of the room around 3am. Amadeus immediately grabbed Marie and helped pull her up from the floor to stand with Noelle in front of their leader. The other Avengers quieted down to listen, "You aren't going to like this," she warned with a yawn. Inessa looked like she'd just rolled out of bed. Supreme badass, black ops leader, the most mysterious Avenger of them all- and she was in pajama pants two sizes too large and a Doctor Who tank top.

As she yawned, Amadeus nudged Marie and pointed to his left wrist, then at Inessa. Marie looked more closely at her (potentially) new boss. There was a small silver rectangle in her wrist, initially it looked like part of a bracelet, but nothing extended out from it. It appeared to be actually embedded in the skin. Marie glanced at the skin visible on her arms and chest. There was hardly any smooth skin. Thick, ropey scars crossed melted-looking patches all over the place. Some things Marie could identify as scars from burns or skinning- unfortunately thanks to her own experience- but a lot of it was a guess. She was suddenly grateful for Noelle's warning about the video clip- if she'd seen a random file with a different picture, no matter what it was, she'd probably click it out of curiosity. Marie didn't want to see the story behind the scars.

"I just got a summons from Heimdall." Amadeus groaned and threw his head back as Inessa spoke, "There's been another uprising. I've got to go handle things over there."

"How long this time?" Noelle was nervous.

"Three weeks- maybe four. It sounds like they don't even know the scope of it yet."

She glanced from Amadeus back to Inessa, "You still can't convince them to let us come too?"

Inessa shook her head, then explained for Marie's benefit, "After Thanos' fall his _children_ \- a team of cohorts he'd created- went nuts. Half of them tried to take his throne, half locked themselves up in their solar systems to rule. One of the more annoying ones, Anansi, got hold of some dark elf stealth tech, reverse-engineered _then_ mass-produced it, and declared himself the Shadow King. His people have been found in Vanaheim, Alfheim, Muspelheim, Niflheim, and even Asgard."

"The Asgardians couldn't fight him- their technology can't beat Dark Elf gear, and the leaders of the other realms were losing ground. Thor's exiled from Asgard, but he still sends reports back to the Counsel of Yggdrasil. They knew about me, what I could do," thankfully, Thor had left out any details that linked her and the Valley to the realm the Counsel had annihilated to defeat Thor's uncle, "-and so they voted unanimously to override King Odin's ban on Midgardians and bring me in to see if I could help. It turns out my abilities at least give us a general location of their forces." Inessa looked back to Noelle, "I've tried everything, but they won't even let me off the Bifrost platform in Asgard. Odin only tolerates me in the other realms because the Counsel made him. He won't let anyone else through and Asgard is the only link in the Bifrost that connects to Earth."

Amadeus grumbled to himself, "Anything you want us to monitor while you're gone?" he was begrudgingly moving into leader mode.

Inessa yawned again and nodded, "Break in Marie on the thing in Argentina. Make it her practice mission- something isn't right there, I can feel it."

He seemed surprised, "Not Indonesia?"

"Indonesia isn't anything urgent. Marie needs basic field work and a case study for her review. I'll send word via Heimdall if it looks like things will run long, but I think Indonesia will still be there in three weeks at least. If Marie joins the team bring her sparring with you and Noelle. Teach her what you can until I get back."

"When do you leave?"

Inessa glanced at the clock on the wall, "Four hours."

Noelle immediately waved Geoff over, "Drop me in London? Near Harrod's?"

"Anyone else for a field trip?" Raj and Jessica jumped at the chance. They stood in a group, waiting for Inessa to dismiss her team.

"You four can get going, thank you."

"I'll start moving the trunks out to the launch pad," Amadeus headed for the elevator across the room, "Marie, wanna help?" Inessa nodded to let her know she was dismissed and Marie quickly followed him.

"Sorry to interrupt the game," Inessa waved at the four remaining Avengers and vanished into the shadows to re-emerge in her kitchen. She quickly threw together a large batch of chocolate cookies. On each of her three (now four) trips to the realms after the Shadow King's rise to power, Inessa brought small gifts and "Midgardian Delicacies" to each of the twenty Asgardians who trusted her to advise the Warriors Three, their generals, in battle. Heimdall was particularly fond of Midgardian spices, so she kept stock of several costco-sized containers for him. On this visit she was ready to introduce the keeper of the Bifrost to cocoa powder and all the miraculous ways to enjoy it (that is, if Thor hadn't eaten the stash of chocolate candies and products Inessa had stored in one of the trunks for such a visit).

"No, you adorable little beggar," Inessa didn't bother looking down as the Avengers PTSD dog licked at her toes. She was the one who found him. It was before teh teams- back when the world still thought Steve was dead. She gave him the dog as a companion and a friend. It did wonders to improve his mood, having the furry, loving golden retriever around. Hydra had removed one of the dog's forelegs for some test or another and before giving it to Steve Inessa asked Tony to create a robotic one. When they named him it was meant to be a joke just between them, but the stubborn mule refused to respond to anything else...

"Barkey," she glanced down at the grinning beast, "the others are downstairs, go beg from them. I smelled pizza." The dog's tail went nuts and he licked her toes one last time before running off downstairs. He had a talent for finding prey to puppy-eye his way to a belly full of human food- especially if that food was pizza.

As soon as the cookies were in the oven Inessa went to Thor's apartment one floor up. She knocked softly on the door, then waited. There was a loud bark and several guttural gurgles, "Bilgie, get back," Thor opened the door and admitted Inessa.

"Sorry to wake you, I know you just got back from visiting Jane," she said as she entered. "How's my favorite little Bilgie doing?" she cooed to the actually very large beast. It had the body of a bear, large horns, and the head of something closely resembling a star-nosed mole. Ugly, but she was a loyal, good-natured reminder of the home Thor had given up. Inessa brought her back after her first visit to Vanaheim as a mere cub. Bilgie and Barkey were thick as thieves instantly.

"Do not worry, I have not been asleep long."

"I was called in to Asgard," Inessa said, "Niflheim, Vanaheim, and Muspelheim are reporting uprisings by the Shadow King's forces. I'm off to root them out- maybe kill him once and for all."

"Oh," Thor didn't keep his jealousy secret, he looked down, "let the Asgardians fight on your behalf, they are more evenly matched in strength. Take great care."

"I will. Anything you want to pass on to the Warrior's Three?" Inessa always smuggled messages back and fourth between Thor and his friends. Odin had forbidden it, but he couldn't stop her without inciting an inter-realm incident. Thor's stories of the just and wise Allfather seemed contrary to the man who banished his only son over something as simple as an allegiance with the Avengers. Thor insisted it was merely grief over the tragic death of Queen Frigga, that he'd begin to heal from the pain in a century or two- but who among the Avengers would still be around until then? Vision? Steve? Natasha? Maybe Banner- or would the Hulk be all that remained so long from now? Thor was more or less an immortal stuck living with mortals. He needed his Asgardian friends. Inessa was more than happy to facilitate as best she could.

Thor ducked into his study to fetch his mail. When he came back, it was with five notebooks, "For the Warrior's Three, Heimdall, and my father," he pointed to a gold one, the largest, "Reports on Midgard and our team," the others were smaller, filled with personal letters in flowing Asgardian script. Inessa didn't need to ask which book was for whom- she was fluent in Thor's native language now.

"I'll deliver them and no doubt have a hundred pounds of mail for you when I get back," it was only a slight exaggeration- the Warriors were _devoted_ to Thor.

"Tony already prepared the next shipment of books for Forseti," he advised, "don't forget."

"Amadeus is moving them to the landing pad now," It wasn't formally part of the Counsel's treaty allowing Inessa to enter the realms, but she never went off-world without delivering a full tonne of books to the Chief Librarian in the Halls of Knowledge. As a sign of gratitude, he often gave her copies of tomes on Asgardian history (which was why she asked Thor to teach her his language). As Vanaheim was one of the realms sporting an uprising, Inessa would be able to visit the library directly.

"I've got a new member, by the way. Amadeus and Noelle are breaking her in. I'm willing to bet she chooses to stay. She's a bit shy, so don't let the others completely swarm her if I don't make it back in time for the Leader's meeting."

"I will keep an eye on her," Thor smiled at last. "Be safe in your travels little Nessie. I look forward to your expedient and healthy return."

"Take care of the crazies while I'm gone," Inessa hugged Thor and headed back to her floor to swap the trays in the oven, then headed up past Thor's floor to Steve's. When he opened the door to her knocking it was only enough so that she could see part of his face. Inessa smiled wryly, "Hi Sharon!" she called in to Steve's lieutenant and girlfriend (Grand-niece of his _last_ girlfriend, Peggy Carter, which Tony never let him forget).

"I don't know what you're talking about," he was playing innocent. "What's up?"

Inessa smiled, "I have a guess," she let her eyes flash to make him nervous and look down pointedly. In reality she was checking on the trunks as Amadeus and Marie guided Tony's creations to the silver Bifrost landing pad on the balcony.

Steve turned beet-red, "You wouldn't!" her eyes settled back to their normal silver hue.

She changed the subject with no indication as to if she were joking or not, "I got a call from Asgard. I'm leaving at 7. Just wanted you to know."

He immediately grew serious, "Stay safe, alright? You're there to root the enemy out, not fight them. The Asgardians are more equal to the Shadow King's people."

"Why does everyone keep telling me to be safe?" Inessa grumbled.

"Because you almost lost your arm and leg last time," he was referring to a particularly heated skirmish in which a rock creature grabbed Inessa and flung her into a stone wall.

"Come back with a few broken bones _one_ time and you never hear the end of it."

"We worry so we'll never see the end of _you_."

"You're awfully protective, old man."

Steve laughed, "Alright, off my porch you dag-gone kid!" he rolled his lips over his teeth and did his best grandpa voice. "I'll see you-?"

"Hopefully in three weeks, maybe four," Inessa waved then, as she walked back downstairs, she called over her shoulder, "Goodnight Sharon!"

A woman's voice called out from Steve's bedroom, "Night Nessie!" he burst out laughing and closed the door. Inessa realized suddenly she'd forgotten to mention Marie. _Oh well_ , she thought, _someone will fill him in_.

By the time everything was ready to go and Noelle returned with Geoff (laden with a few dozen pounds of candy for the families of Inessa's soldiers), it was time to get going. Inessa could feel Heimdall's eyes upon her, waiting until she took her place on the silver landing pad. "Thanks for staying up and helping everyone, I'll see you soon," she smiled to her friends.

"Don't get the shit beaten out of you," Amadeus called.

"Raj, get your invisible ass off the pad," Inessa chuckled as he jumped down into the group. "Keep the old men safe until I get back- no broken hips, no new dentures. Don't let Barkey get fat, and if you party, make sure it's wild!" they cheered at that and, a moment later, Inessa and the supplies vanished in a flash of light.

Inessa could never find it no matter how many times she ran through that morning in the coming months- the moment when everything began to go so horribly wrong.

* * *

For story notes visit **ProjectEchoFanfic** dot **tumblr** dot **com**


	8. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: A.E. - Visions**

They passed straight through the Valley and headed back out into a dark, damp cavern. Bucky saw the shadowy outline of a stalactite headed straight for his face and he braced for a fatal impact- but it never came.

Sparks of red lanced across his vision, Inessa let go of his wrist, and he was suddenly still. There was a flicker of purple-gray beside him as Inessa fell and she was caught by a flying man with a cape. He headed with her towards a bright lantern sitting on the floor of the cavern next to a woman in red. She was lowering Bucky as quickly as the man was flying with Inessa.

The camp, once he picked it out of the shadows, was large for the people he saw on the ground, yet the silence and the stillness made him believe they might really be the only ones here. Six small tents were grouped together, then several large storage ones. On the border of the camp was a large square pod as long as a shipping container. A light shone from inside and through the open doors Bucky could just make out several overturned IV stands and an upside-down cot- _this_ was where Inessa had brought him?

"Are you alright Nessa? We heard a crash and you two were gone-" the woman spoke with a thick Slavic accent- Sokovian maybe?

The tall man set Inessa down the same time Bucky's feet hit the ground. The man's skin was purple- literally. It wasn't just a trick of the light. Gray plating made up a uniform Bucky suspected was organic- something grown by the man. A small yellow stone was embedded in his forehead. "We went on a field trip," Inessa was explaining to the two, "then Sam tried to kill me." The red woman looked sad at that, "Please tell me you've had luck with Muhammad in the last two hours."

She shrugged, "We have not, but maybe if you spoke with him again-"

"INESSA, STOP!" Bucky cut in. He stepped over and grabbed her arm roughly, dropping the picture at last, "What did you do to them?! What did you do to Steve?!"

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING," Inessa shouted back at him and spun her arm to break his grip, "WHY IS IT SO EASY FOR EVERYONE TO BELIEVE I KILLED THEM?!"

"I SAW IT! I SAW SAM CONFRONT YOU! FIVE YEARS AGO! I thought if I left it would stop, you'd have a chance at getting better, but you still-"

"YOU SAW FIVE MINUTES OF A FUTURE YOU COULD _NEVER_ UNDERSTAND AND DECIDED I WAS A KILLER!"

"Calm down, both of yo-" the man tried to step between them.

"AND WHAT THE FUCK DID TONY DO TO JARVIS?"

"Inessa," the woman snapped and pulled Inessa back from Bucky's face, "go talk to Muhammad. We will handle this."

She let out a wordless scream of frustration and stormed off back towards the storage tents. The two others immediately blocked Bucky's path when he made to follow her, "Let her go," the woman warned, "talk to us."

Bucky's hand was clenched in a fist, he tried to force his pulse to slow down again. He'd spent the last five years meditating and helping others whenever possible- a temper like this was almost completely unfamiliar. The man waited until Bucky's fist un-clenched and moved to his left side. He pulled back the thin shirt that had been pulled over him while he slept and inspected the plate. Bucky ignored him.

"My name is Wanda Maximoff," the woman said softly. "That is Vision, not JARVIS, my husband. We are leaders of the Avengers. Like Sam, like Inessa. We joined a few weeks after you left."

"Is he a robot?" Bucky eyed him suspiciously.

"Android. Half human, half mechanoid. My mind was created artificially, as was my body, but I am still _alive_. JARVIS went into my creation in part, and yes, Tony Stark was a part of that. I am an entirely unique creature though."

Wanda reached out and touched Bucky's hand, he looked back at her, "You must understand, things have been very difficult, even before the explosion. Things have been happening that we cannot explain- but that is not what is important right now. Inessa believes the Avengers were _taken_ , not killed. That is why she sought you out."

"They're alive?" Bucky read between the lines before hope completely set in, " _Inessa believes_. You don't."

"We trust and we hope. That is all any of us can do right now. She cannot sense them, wherever they are, but she does not believe that means they are dead."

"There are three possibilities," Vision spoke as he pulled a wire brush out of a pouch on the ground and began to scrub at the plate, "One- the Avengers are dead- but most certainly not at Inessa's hand. Two, they were taken as a ploy to lure Inessa in, which makes little sense. If someone wanted her, and was powerful enough to take the others, then they would have her already."

"So three-" Wanda took over, "whoever took the Avengers made sure no one would come to Inessa's aid- destroyed her in the eyes of all who remain, in order to force her to turn to you."

Bucky frowned, "You think I'm a target?"

Wanda nodded, "If we are right, they'll have followed Inessa to you."

"You're Inessa's people," his tone was slightly more mild, but the glare remained, "how do I know I can trust you? How do you know you can trust her?"

"When I met her I was not an ally," Wanda stared him down, "I looked into Inessa's mind and showed her her greatest fear come to pass. Do you know what it was?"

Bucky shrugged, "Me? Dennisson? Astana?"

"Losing the family she was building with the Avengers. Seeing her friends come to harm because of her. She had been with them only a few months and already they were what she cared most about. Because of this I _know_ she would not hurt them, no matter how much appears to contradict this. I have faith in my friend."

"We both do," Vision nodded to Wanda.

Bucky wanted to believe, but it was hard, "So what am I in all of this? Bait?"

Vision fielded this one, "The reinforcements. Inessa means to go after the Avengers and bring them home- dead or alive. She will not let us accompany her, not when the world must be protected. They do not know the Avengers are feared dead, we must keep it so. If you are a target then you must be protected, if not, if it _is_ a way to lure her in, then _she_ is who must be protected. Go with her. Keep her safe. I do not believe she intends to return from this along with the others. See to it that she does. Judge her innocence or her guilt for yourself. There is no harm in looking."

"I still don't know that I can trust anything you're telling me."

Vision walked away to one of the tents. When Bucky turned to her, Wanda only pointed and waited. He returned carrying a large dusty case in one hand and Thor's hammer in the other. He held the latter up for Bucky to see, "If I meant you harm, she'd not let me wield her. They were all taken so quickly Thor never summoned Mjolnir. Inessa couldn't have done it," he set the hammer down next to Bucky. To see if it was really the hammer, he tried to lift it. Nothing.

"Do you believe us now? That we can be trusted?" Wanda asked.

Bucky thought through it all, "I'm beginning to."

Vision opened the case and pulled something out wrapped in a sheet. He held it out and Bucky pulled the sheet away from one end. His metal arm. Bucky looked to Vision for a long time, then took the arm and reattached it to his plate. A moment later he held up both hands, relishing the feeling. Bucky stared at them.

"Will you help her?" When he nodded Wanda pointed to the case, "Then suit up," inside was his uniform, all of his knives- even the photograph of his parents Tony had given him on his 98th birthday.

"I won't be the Winter Soldier," Bucky warned.

Vision smiled slightly, "We don't need the Winter Soldier. We need the Nomad."

* * *

"We both already know you're going to do it, so why are you being so stubborn?!" Inessa was exasperated.

Muhammad paced the supply tent that was his prison and shook his head, "Creating a vision because a vision was created is Ouroborous! A self-creating prophecy defies the laws of nature, there are consequences!"

"I'm not arguing it with you Muhammad, I'm telling you to just do it already! I'll handle the fallout!"

"You say this prophecy is _WHY_ everything went wrong, why do you want it created in the first place?!"

"It's brought some good too- enough that I'm willing to deal with the consequences!"

Muhammad stopped pacing and shook his head, "When I look forward I see only darkness. When I look back I see the path that led there and-"

"Hindsight is 20/20. It's _foresight_ that we need! I'm not trying to fix the past, I'm trying to fix the future!"

"I know you didn't kill them, and maybe whatever you've got planned will change what I can or cannot see, but to send an ouroboran vision is too dangerous! It unleashed horrible creatures last time- it destroyed my village! All because I sent a vision simply because the man had received one already!"

"Wanda can contain whatever comes out- my wolves can destroy it!"

"You don't have control over them anymore, you don't even set foot in the Valley!" Muhammad reminded her, "How do you think you will keep us safe?"

Inessa shook her head, "What do you think happens when words gets out Steve, Tony, Nat, Clint, Thor and Banner are gone? Every baddie for a dozen plus worlds will descend on this one to figure out what's making the freaks grow here. They round up anyone with powers and poke and prod the human race until they figure it out. If you send the vision yeah, we could all die. If you don't, if you let us lose the warning about Helius, the second Battle of New York, even about today? Everyone could die that much sooner. I knew Sam would be watching the Tower and so I knew what precautions to take and how to escape. The visions put everyone on alert five years ago, and because of them we prepared for this day as best we could. Yes, they ruined my chances to save them before the explosion, but more could have died if they didn't exist!"

Muhammad opened his mouth to reply but Inessa shook her head, "Sam told you all what I am. He told you I'm inhuman, an abomination. You know my story, where I'm from, and what created me. If you don't at least try to help me now, you'll see he was right- you'll see just how much of a monster I am. I'm exhausted Muhammad. I've been trying to find Bucky Barnes for a month, and I've been trying to prove my innocence longer than that. I'm through with asking."

"Wait-" Muhammad sighed as her eyes began to glow, "Inessa, just wait." She paused, ready to force him out of his own mind if need be- she hadn't tried it since she returned to her body so long ago, but she was pretty sure it was like riding a bike.

At long last he ran a hand through his dark hair and nodded, "Fine. I'll do it. Bring me to him, before I come to my senses."

* * *

Bucky, Inessa, and Muhammad stood around the lantern as closely as they could. Wanda and Vision were standing off to the side, waiting for their cue. "I'm summoning all of them," Inessa warned, "no matter what happens, don't move away from that," she pointed to the light source. "Are you two ready?"

Muhammad nodded, "Bucky, I will put my hands on your head and see the visions you were given. I will then send them back, give them to you in the first place. This is an ouroborous, a cyclical vision which creates itself. It is an abhorrence, an affront to the natural order. Something will appear to stop it. Do not pull away, do not break your focus. Once all visions are sent, the creature will weaken." He looked over to Inessa, "You must remain silent. Any noise will be sent with the vision." he turned back to Bucky, "You will re-live the visions one by one, then you will see the ripples these visions caused. It will be disorienting- take very deep breaths. I do not know how strong the effects may be- I have never tried sending a vision over such great distances before."

"I know you can do it."

"Inessa, that does not make me feel any better."

"Wanda, seal us in," Inessa called. Red veins burned around them, interlocking until it obscured most of the view of the camp. Muhammad put his hands on Bucky's head and nodded to Inessa. Black mist began to pour from her, obscuring the red and bleeding the shadows around them. The inside of the sphere grew brighter, but Bucky could hear the wolves howling and snapping in the mist.

 _Focus_ , Muhammad mouthed, then launched himself into Bucky's mind.

The vision at the tower played through, then switched to the Shadow standing in the middle of the Astana eruption. It had scared him so much, he had been so sure it was coming for him. The security at the Tower had heightened, they'd asked Simmons to go one step further in her cure- to find a way to break the connection between the Shadow and its victims. Bucky used that cure to sever his connection with Inessa and go underground.

It was a bizarre sensation- not only seeing the vision again but seeing the trail it left in his life. Bucky felt a wave of dizziness. He held himself stead and concentrated. A roar echoed from around them. Muhammad moved on to the second vision.

Once again the scene at the tower played, then shifted to show brief snatches of the Second Battle of New York. It was why Bucky sold himself to Dennisson for the files. Why he'd been tortured until he had the crazed dream of his attempt at freeing Inessa. His dream- his suspicion she was some kind of teleporter- was why Clint was watching the footage when Dennisson's man Tyson had attacked. Clint found the footage, and it was that footage that proved they didn't have to fear the Shadow anymore- that Inessa wasn't possessed by it, _it_ was the piece that they had been missing all along.

There was more to see with this one, greater ripples. Bucky's head swam and he tipped to the side. His arm brushed the wall of mist. Inessa snatched him back seconds before a wolf lashed out at him, "Stay in the light!" she hissed. Muhammad glared at her as the words became part of the vision. Goosebumps rose on Bucky's arms. That's what it had been? He'd thought it was a warning against the Shadow somehow causing the battle.

The final vision. Inessa kept her hand on his arm in case he tipped. They'd begun to turn on her, grow suspicious of her when Bucky told them. The suspicion- what she may do- coupled with Pryor's mental manipulation in the past... It had changed Inessa. All visions had gone to her and Bucky, but she'd only been in her body to see the last one.

It inspired a host of security protocols. Her uniform, the implant on the back of her neck, it reared up suspicion against her when everything began, condemned her faster than she could explain herself and- something else. Something secret, something buried-

Inessa leveled a kick to Bucky's ribs, knocking him over and breaking his connection with Muhammad, "DOWN!" she shouted. She released her powers before Bucky hit the wall of mist and at the same time Wanda lost her shield. A split second later, right where Bucky had been standing, a massive pincer clamped onto nothing. Bucky looked up at a spine-covered creature half as high as the cavern ceiling far above them. It had one pincer (which Bucky was thankful to not have an up close and personal encounter with), one clubbed appendage dripping green liquid through the spikes, and a flat, gaping maw. Muhammad looked to Inessa, terrified.

She summoned only Nadya back, yelled, "Protect it!", then abandoned her body and folded into the Shadow. It was created by an affront to nature, she was happy to provide it with one- and what would piss it off more than a shade in a dead girl's body? The Shadow lept at the cavern wall and used the geological formations there to propel herself higher and higher towards the creature's face. It had over a dozen eyes deep-set into it's skull, plenty of targets.

Wanda threw hex after hex at it, aiming for the poisonous club. She jarred and jolted it, smashed it into the wall, but the creature was too strong. The arm wouldn't break. It seemed to be pissing the creature off, actually. Bucky picked up Inessa's body and pulled Muhammad towards the back of the cavern, away from the battle. Vision took off and battled the pincer with Mjolnir. He decreased his density and made it easier for the claw to pass through him, just in case he wasn't quick enough. The hammer was a good distraction, but he needed to find a weak spot. One blast from the mind stone could do it in if he had the proper target. If he misjudged- it took five minutes to recharge and he'd be useless to even lift the hammer during that time.

The Shadow dodged the clubbed hand and dove for the eyes one by one. The creature roared as it's eyes were shredded and poison was injected into it's skull. A creature this large would take as much poison as the entire pack together possessed, but they weren't organized enough to destroy it- or else Inessa would have made the creature the problem of the Valley's inhabitants. She needed it _dead_.

"MOVE!" Bucky shoved Wanda out of the way as the creature writhed. It's tail whipped around from behind and swept at her. Vision abandoned his fight with the pincer and flew up towards the head. He quickly scanned the Shadow's movements- it was nearly done with the eyes. Luckily Vision didn't have the same limitations as humans. He adjusted his vision to see inside the creature- where did all those eyes connect?

It's brain was small, but situated directly between the two appendages in the most defended part of it's body. He pointed to the pincer and the Shadow dove for it and began slashing randomly. Wanda relocated and continued to crack the clubbed hand. Bucky looked around and grabbed a metal container. If the creature was blind it was going to fall back to rely on smell or sound. He couldn't see any other orifices besides it's mouth, so he just prayed he was right and began to beat on the metal, building up an unholy racket- or drawing it's attention. Either would help Vision.

Muhammad remained with Inessa's body in the back of the cavern. He put his hands on either side of her temple and passed a vision into her empty mind- one he'd never imagined he would need to show her, but just in case he never saw her again, it was important that she knew. The vision would make itself known soon enough.

The creature slashed out at the Shadow and as it did the brain was finally exposed. Vision threw everything he had into it- so much energy it would take _days_ to recharge. The blast permeated the outer skin and struck home. The creature's roar was cut off, the body jolted, and it began to fall. The Shadow dove back for Inessa's body and separated into two beings. The moment she was home she opened the largest window to the Valley she had ever attempted and the creature was sucked through. She just prayed it was really dead- or close enough that the wolves would finish it off. Nadya ran through with it and Inessa slammed the doors shut, heart pounding.

"Come on," she pulled Muhammad to his feet and they ran across the slick cavern floor towards camp. Once they got there they saw Bucky carrying Vision's body towards a tent, Wanda fussing over the body the whole way, "Set him down gently! Gently! Are you sure there are no injuries? He was not hurt?"

"He used a lot of juice," Inessa went over and pulled her away so Bucky could get into a tent, "he'll be fine. No injuries."

"I know," Wanda turned and smiled at her friend thinly, "I just worry. There's been so much bad lately..."

"You'll be stuck in here until he recharges, are you going to be alright?"

"We have supplies," Wanda glanced around, "enough for a week, more if we ration."

Inessa looked around at the cavern helplessly, then at her watch, "Any second now he'll come for me. I can feel it already. I'm sorry, I can't stay. Really."

"Not yet!" Wanda's eyes filled with tears and she grabbed Inessa and pulled her into a long hug. "Be safe, my sister. Remember to take care of yourself, be brave, and never ever forget that we believe in you. Whatever happens, we will convince the others. When you come home you will not be hunted. Just be safe." She looked over Inessa's shoulder at Bucky, "Remember what we told you. Your promise." He nodded.

"Wanda, you've got to stay here," Inessa felt her skin beginning to tingle. Right on time. She pulled away from her best friend and grabbed Bucky's metal arm, "You'd better be ready."

"Bring them home," Muhammad didn't bother trying to conceal his worry, his fear. Inessa flashed a quick smile and nodded, but Bucky could feel her trembling.

"Where are we going?" his voice was soft, low.

Inessa didn't look away from her friends. She wished Vision was awake. It was too soon, she thought they'd have more time, "It started in Asgard. _That's_ where we're going."

The Bifrost opened, they were pulled through, and the next thing Bucky knew he was staring at a very large, very angry, and very gold man. A sword was sitting in a pedestal not far away, but the man had a dagger leveled with the point millimeters away from Inessa's eye, "Found you."

* * *

For story notes visit **ProjectEchoFanfic** dot **tumblr** dot **com**.

It should be clearer by now, but all odd chapters take place BEFORE the explosion, all even chapters take place AFTER (hence A.E.- After Explosion).


	9. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: 101 Days Before the Explosion**

Evenings were hot in Niflheim, but the breeze off the purple ocean was cool, and for that Inessa was grateful. She camped with her warriors under the stars, swapping stories of their adventures since the last campaign against the Shadow King.

"Believe none of their boasts, Lady Ryker, for it is nothing but tall tales!" Fandral knocked Volstagg into Hogun after a particularly lewd tale involving a Jotun woman and a Muspelheim battle maiden.

"My friends remember, you sit before a lassie no olden than that which Fandral would have us believe is a beard!" he called out over a roar of protest from the blond warrior and the raucous laughter of their warriors.

They were celebrating the end of a successful campaign. So far they'd routed the Shadow King's forces in two realms, soon to be three. If their suspicions were correct, they'd find the Shadow King himself soon enough and be rid o him and his ilk once and for all! Inessa laughed along with the warriors- even though the joke was in part at her expense. She was lucky to have the trust of the men, and she appreciated it greatly. As Volstagg said- many had beards they'd been growing as long as she'd been alive, yet they trusted her to guide them to their enemies- this child from another realm.

Lady Sif had been with them as well, before she was called away by Odin to round up some criminal or another. Hogun came in her stead. While he wasn't as quick to trade barbs with the other two, Inessa appreciated his quiet humor and ever alert eyes- once or twice he'd managed to sense the Shadow King's people nearby before even Inessa. She sent a letter to Odin requesting he be made a permanent fixture among her forces. odin sent back the letter's ashes.

"I would speak with the Warriors Three in private a moment," Inessa's request was met with instant obedience- though she wasn't one of the generals. She was more a seeing eye dog, as Tony liked to put it. The Asgardian warriors moved a respectful distance inland and turned away, that none might hear or see their leader's words. Fandrel seemed most concerned with the sudden change in tone, but if the battle was truly over tomorrow, she needed to know now.

"What is it, little one?" Volstagg picked up a nearby piece of fruit and began to eat.

"It's about King Odin," there was an immediate chill over the camp, a change in mood. Fandrel and Hogun shared a look. Inessa didn't miss it, "I take it I'm not the only one who thinks something isn't right with him?"

Volstagg turned so that none of the men could see his mouth, should they glance back, "Aye. Something's been amiss for quite some time, but we can find no evidence. It is more than mere grief, but what?"

Even Fandrel was taking this seriously, "He sends Sif to retrieve the most dangerous of Asgard's prisoners, ones who should be guarded at all times, yet they behave perfectly as if..."

Inessa knew the pattern, "They're waiting for a signal."

"A rider!" Hogun silenced the group before even the warriors announced Odin's messenger. Every one of them could be executed for the brief conversation.

Fandrel glanced at Inessa and nodded, "To be continued, Lady Ryker." She didn't need the warning, but she accepted it.

"Calder, my unfortunate friend," Volstagg bellowed as soon as he saw the man charge in, "go back to whatever hole you slithered out of and send someone fairer to speak for the Allfather! A Bilgesnipe, perhaps!"

The man was hardly ugly. On Earth he had the chiseled features and perfect muscles of a men's fitness model, but there was a coldness to him that disturbed Inessa- especially in the way his eyes sized her up and dismissed her immediately.

A low, deep growl rumbled through the camp and Calder froze. He peered into the shadows wearily. Nadya launched from one just beside him, barely missing scraping him with her poisonous claws. He shouted in fear and threw himself to the side. She landed lightly and went to stand beside Inessa. _Now_ Calder wasn't dismissing her.

"Take care, the babe has claws," Fandrel smirked as Calder furiously stood and dusted himself off.

"How dare you, you little-"

"-Calder!" Volstagg snapped, then smiled, "If we must suffer your presence, at least be merciful and make yours a brief visit. What are the Allfather's orders?"

Calder glared at the four, purple-faced, "You are commanded to stand down. Send the silver eyed _witch_ back to Midgard! The Shadow King is not on this realm, you are wasting your time!"

Fandrel stepped forward, "We _know_ the Shadow King's forces are here and we believe he is holding court! We attack his camp in the morning!"

"His armies are of no concern anymore."

"This is absurd, the Counsel-"

"The Counsel's provisions allowing your brats presence expires very soon." Calder smiled, "We do not require her services any longer. It will be Asgard who triumphs over this enemy.

"Because they did _so well_ last time. The Allfather's a fool!" Calder drew his sword and pointed it at Inessa.

"Take care of whom you speak, little bitch."

"Same to you," Inessa left her body and fuzed with Nadya. The wolf reared back as its form became half beast, half human. The hind legs fractured and elongated, it's arms hung low, emphasized by long talons dripping silver poison. The muzzle flattened into a Glasgow smile. Inessa's silver eyes burned all the brighter.

She growled again, long and low. The connection to her body was enough to keep her mind clear and focused- her first time had been a leap of desperation, an escape from madness- she was left more beast than human. Now it was refined, perfected.

Hogun smiled slightly, "Calder, you will want to stand down. She forgot to bring the antidote for that venom, and we are no more immune than a Midgardian. Her words were those of a child, treat them as such." Most of what he said was bull- included in the trunks she'd brought was a med suit with twenty vials of the anti-venom. Calder didn't need to know that though.

"You've been ordered to return to Asgard by morning and send that _thing_ home!" Calder spat at the Shadow's feet and sheathed his sword, "Fail to comply with the Allfather's orders and you will face the consequences!" he stormed out of the camp and mounted once again. The mocking cheers from the warriors followed him into the night.

"Oh no, not _consequences_!" Fandrel cried out in mock horror.

"So, we have until dawn." Inessa returned to her body, "What do you three think?"

Hogun looked over as their warriors returned to them, "The Allfather has summoned us back to Asgard! We leave at dawn!" He looked to Volstagg and Fandrel, who both nodded, "Which means we must prepare ourselves quickly. We strike the Shadow King's encampment tonight!" the men cheered and Inessa smiled.

"I'll go get my uniform."

* * *

Calder watched the camp from a distant hilltop. He doubted the flurry of activity was snap obedience to the Allfather's demand. He smiled. The bitch made him look like a food, but if she walked headfirst into the Shadow King's trap, who was the real fool? The Allfather predicted this response. As always, he was correct. They hoped to be rid of the Shadow King by dawn. Odin hoped to be rid of Inessa.

* * *

"Lady Ryker, how do you suggest we proceed?" Fandrel was crouched low next to Inessa in the last hours of the night. She was only half connected to Nadya, just enough to see through the beasts eyes. The Shadow King used stolen Dark Elf technology to hide his forces, making them invisible even to Heimdall, but not to Nadya. The wolf was at all times half in the Valley, and somehow that translated to a half-vision of those they hunted, just like the Ragers Sebastian Morris had sent against them so long ago- no matter how a creature tried to hide, a whisper of them could always be found.

Nadya's eyes were locked on a small cavern set into the side of one of the hills of the highlands. Inessa counted seven wraith-like shapes and considered it carefully. "There are seven outside the cave, but they are settled, probably in the middle of their shift. Route Hogun's men around the hill and have them drop from above the cave. We attack simultaneously with Volstagg, flanking from opposite sides. They won't be able to retreat anywhere but straight out from the cave. If anyone gets past us, Nadya gets an early breakfast." she glanced to Fandrel and he gave her an encouraging nod.

"You heard the woman," he dispatched runners to Volstagg and Hogun to relay their plan. Inessa's specialty was strategy, it was why Tony and Steve agreed to make her head of Avengers Black Ops. Still, Fandrel had been leading men since the Roman Empire was at its peak and he happily accepted her request for guidance. If she made a wrong assessment he would correct her, explain when to use certain formations, and after the battle they walked the field together and went over what worked and what did not. Once you got used to Fandrel's impish nature he was a remarkably patient instructor.

They waited in the darkness while the men moved into position. Nadya ran large circles around the cavern, guarding against any surprises. The number of forward patrols reinforced their belief that the Shadow King must be nearby, why else would there be so much security? Odin would have to learn patience. Something was going on in Niflheim and they were not leaving until she was convinced the threat to the people was neutralized. Odin could have Heimdall drag Inessa back through the Bifrost kicking and screaming if he had problem with that. She had immunity from the Counsel, it would be a welcome meeting at last with the king.

Nadya ripped through a patrol of the Shadow King's men not far from where Inessa and Fandrel were walking with their men. They hesitated and the wolf came to them with a wagging tail and an arm dangling from her mouth. "Good work," Inessa smiled, "keep hunting." the beast trotted off back into the darkness.

While waiting for a patrol to pass by, Inessa noticed something on the far side of the small valley, "Wait," Fandrel stopped and held up a hand. Their soldiers gathered around them, "I'll be right back," he nodded and put a hand on her shoulder to stead her. Inessa moved entirely into Nadya's form, ignoring the taste of blood and flesh, and ran for the object.

With Nadya's eyes she saw something of a similar structure to the wraiths, yet it wasn't organic. A machine hidden from sight with the Dark Elf technology? Inessa listened cautiously as she approached for any sign it may come to life or signal a trap. No patrols came through there, but a strange smell filled the air, something metallic and oiled. A shout echoed from Fandrel's location, then the clash and clang of steel. Before she could return to her body the device activated. A solid wall of pressure slammed into the wolf and Nadya was blasted back into the Valley with Inessa's mind in tow.

* * *

No matter how hard the Shadow tried she could not open the doors. On her first trip to Asgard Inessa discovered that she could only return from the Valley to the realm she left- and nowhere on Niflheim could she find a shadow to escape through. Tony's goddamn frequency- how the hell had the Shadow King gotten a hold of it, and more importantly how did he manage to blanket an entire _world_ with it? All those trips to Niflheim, they'd forced the Shadow King's forces out, they never looked to see what he'd left behind...

The longer she was trapped in Nadya's form the more bestial Inessa's mind would become, but she couldn't _do_ anything! When she destroyed the Helius devices she'd kept a few, worked with Tony to spruce them up as a safety mechanism for her friends. If the Avengers needed shelter or an escape route they could vanish into the Valley without her- but not while she was inside it in another realm! Not only was she unable to even see Fandrel or her body, but this put her allies on Earth in danger as well.

Inessa roared in frustration and the pack swarmed her. War with Hydra, the Shadow King, Thanos' minions, and any number of baddies kept them well fed- and while they were fed they were loyal. As soon as the way was clear Inessa was going to unleash her full might and not stop until Niflheim had been scoured.

* * *

 **99 Days Until the Explosion**

Inessa was fighting whatever kept her pinned down constantly. So much so that two days later when the shield of sound around Niflheim fell, the Shadow and all of her wolves were suddenly falling into a large, open cell. It roared with rage and struck out, narrowly missing Hogun. The wolves took off through the halls, and the Shadow barely had a chance to instruct them to not harm the Asgardians, only their attackers. Wherever this place was, it was far larger than the cave they'd been scouting.

Hogun had a broken pole over one knee- the device! Blood dripped from his hair and armor. Ten men were behind him- ragged, battle-worn, and exhausted, "Inessa, do not do that!" he snapped as she turned to her body.

Her body. What the hell?

The room was filled with white stone tables ringed in gutters to whisk away the blood. Fandrel and his men were laying upon them, gray-skinned and gasping for air. None were bound, yet none had the strength to fight their bonds. The Shadow followed the drains to the floor where the blood filled an intricately carved series of symbols in the ground. In the center was her body. More symbols were traced upon it in blood, as if it had been used in some sort of ritual. The Shadow was suddenly very cold- what was this?

Hogun had a couple of medics in his team who went to the Asgardians, but the most welcome sight was Tony's white med suit. It scanned the room and quickly crossed to Inessa's body. The Asgardians wouldn't look at the blood, and the suit didn't touch anything. She wanted to ask JARVIS what was happening- what _had_ happened, but the Shadow couldn't speak. She grumbled and whined until Hogun held up a hand, "Be patient Inessa. This is blood magic- very dangerous."

"The fortress will be cleared soon, thanks to the assistance of our friends," Inessa was immensely relieved to see Lady Sif enter with Volstagg. They both froze at the sight of the room, but Sif recovered quickly and nodded to the Shadow, "Master JARVIS, report as you run your examinations. I am certain Inessa is anxious," there was only a slight tremor to her voice. Many of the Asgardians made signs to ward off evil as they administered potions to their comrades.

"I have found no obvious indicators of physical tampering. Her body appears to be functioning on its own and her medication has not been blocked," The suit produced a wad of gauze and sprayed it with antiseptic. It scanned her one last time then began to carefully wipe away the blood. Inessa was partly relieved, partly horrified to see that it was not her own, but blood from the others on the tables. She almost wished they'd carved into her skin...

JARVIS cleaned the blood from her face then lifted the body to bring it out of the circle of runes. The warriors all gave him and it a wide path. Near the cell door he set her down and Inessa threw herself back into the body. Her skin ached and burned, as did her eyes and chest. It felt like her flesh was charred and thin, yet nothing _looked_ wrong. She held up her hands and clenched her fists, but the feeling persisted. The ache in her chest made her want to cough. Lady Sif came to her with a draft of Asgardian medicine (Odin would pitch a fit at that) and made Inessa drink until long after the pain at last subsided.

"What happened? Besides the ambush?"

Fandrel was sitting up already and finishing his own potion off as his head hung, "They swarmed us all of the sudden. Pinned us down. I thought we were done for."

"By the time we got to your position, you were gone," Hogun went to Fandrel and put a hand on his friends back to steady him. "We hunted for you across the realm. Once we found those," he looked to the broken pieces of metal on the ground, "we knew it was not luck that led them to you."

"Their tracks led here, to the ruins of the old capitol," Volstagg glanced uncomfortably at the walls of the cell, "we could not attack without Lady Sif's reinforcements, and it took two days for King Odin to send them."

Lady Sif put a hand on Inessa's shoulder, "I sent word through Heimdall to your people. Informed them of the situation."

Inessa groaned, "They're never going to let me live this down."

"How much trouble are we in?" Fandrel looked to Volstagg.

"We're being stripped of our command. All of our men are being sent to outlying posts. No two to the same one."

"Why punish them? We gave the order to fight!"

Sif shook her head, "We should do this elsewhere. Whatever they were trying to do-" she shivered, "-let us leave this evil place."

"I must return with Miss Inessa to Midgard," the med suit helped Inessa stand up. She cracked her back and moaned, "There are tests that must be run to ensure her health and safety."

"Let the girl get her feet under her," Fandrel objected, "you can't just take her the moment we are rescued."

"Actually," Lady Sif was clearly unhappy, "I'm sorry, but Master JARVIS is right. You should return."

"What?" She stared at her friend.

"Inessa, you are protected by the Counsel of Yggdrasil, but they gave you leave to walk freely through the realms for only so long. Shadow King or no, Odin considers the attack an attempt at breaching your contract with them. He is expelling you, and he will not let them bring you back. The sooner you leave the safer you will be."

Inessa ground her teeth, "I'm not leaving until I know how they set up that ambush and what they were doing here."

"He could throw you in prison if you do not leave," Volstagg objected to Odin's paranoia, but he objected more to Inessa's imprisonment. "We will continue to look for clues here, Heimdall has already sworn to us he will relay whatever we find. For your own safety, you must return to your realm. If there is blood magic at work here I would see you far from its source."

"Heimdall," Inessa snapped, "bring me through. It's time the Allfather and I had a talk."

"Don't do anything to provoke him!" Sif shouted as the Bifrost opened, swallowing Inessa and the med suit.

"I'm sad I'll miss that fight," Flandrel tipped back onto the stone and covered his eyes. Hogun just sighed.

* * *

"How do you feel, Inessa Ryker? Heimdall saw her intentions and when he brought her through the Bifrost she was pinned in by the trunks. He blocked her path to the door, non-threatening but immobile.

"I'm going to the Allfather," Inessa warned. If she stepped into the shadows he couldn't stop her.

"Think through your actions carefully, young one. The Allfather cannot touch you so long as the treaty stands. If you break it, he will find it is within his right to send warriors to Midgard to pull you back. The Counsel would be unable to stop him," Heimdall advised.

"He's punishing my men for obeying orders and letting his pride put others at risk-"

Heimdall cut her off, "You can do nothing to change his mind, and if you force your way to him you will only give King Odin lease to have you imprisoned or worse. However," his words made her hesitate, "once the treaty has ended he cannot refuse a meeting with a representative of Midgard, whoever that may be. Your people have no singular leader, but all recognize the Avengers as a unifying force. One of your leaders- even you- would be acceptable."

Inessa considered it. Her blood was boiling, she wanted nothing more than to confront the Allfather- but to do so now put more power in his hands. She was aching, covered in the blood of her own men, and who the hell knows what happened during those two days? Odin was behind the ambush, Inessa was sure of that. Could she afford to give him time to cover his tracks just so that she could figure out the extent of what had happened? "When does the treaty expire, exactly?"

"One hundred and thirty days at eleven fifty-two in the evening, by Midgardian time."

Inessa's low growl reverberated from the shadows and she had to force her power down. The hardest part about being a leader was acting like one. "Wherever I am, whatever I'm doing, find me and bring me back. A hundred thirty days, I'll set a countdown." she barely kept her voice level.

Heimdall nodded and relaxed slightly, "I swear upon my honor as a warrior and a servant of Asgard, I will see you brought here without delay."

* * *

For story notes visit **ProjectEchoFanfic** dot **tumblr** dot **com**.


	10. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: A.E. - 130 Days Later**

Inessa released Bucky's hand and lightly pushed him away. She held her hands out to the side slightly and stared levelly at Heimdall. Bucky was fairly certain he could at least distract the warrior, if his abilities were comparable to Thor's. Inessa wasn't escalating the situation though, so he decided to take his cue from her, for now.

"You've made quite a name for yourself since you were last here, little one."

"The name was given to me, it was completely unsolicited."

"Oh no," he shook his head and kept the blade level, "you're confusing 'unsolicited' with 'unwarranted'." At last he lowered his blade, but the glower remained, "I know why you are here. _They_ arrived yesterday in Muspelheim. You have no right to involve the nine realms in your schemes."

"Does that mean you turned them in?"

Again Heimdall shook his head, "I want your mission to succeed, little one, but not at the cost of innocent lives should the Allfather find out. I sent them on to Svartalfheim before their presence drew attention. You will need to find Fandrel and _convince_ him to show you the path as he was once shown by Thor. King Odin ordered the Bifrost closed to all new business and trade until you are apprehended and executed."

Inessa let out the breath she'd been holding, "Good thing my visit here was old business then."

"Indeed." His expression softened slightly.

"Who are these 'new friends'? More allies?" Bucky wasn't afraid of Inessa's glare. He'd been reasonable so far, now he wanted intel.

Heimdall glanced over and sized Bucky up, "You brought James Barnes with you. The price for that is a high one."

"What's Sam going to do? Expel me from the Avengers _then_ kill me?"

"Don't talk around me," Bucky commanded, "talk to me, or send me back to Earth. If you don't start answering my questions then I don't know how to help you, Inessa. Ignore me one more time and I _will_ sit here and refuse to move." Juvenile? Yes. Was he serious all the same? You bet your ass.

Inessa looked to Heimdall, "Take us to Odin?" the keeper nodded and Bucky began to squat. She stopped him with a _huff_ and a wave of her hand, "You can ask whatever you want between when we leave this room and when we step into the palace. If it's something I can answer, I will. Then you shut up and just follow the plan."

"Fine by me, I just need to know what plan to follow." he accepted a long cloak from Heimdall and began to tug it on one-handed. He remembered suddenly that his metal arm was returned and quickly straightened it out. The golden man watched him a moment before pulling a flask out of his pocket and tossing it to Bucky.

"You have been tortured and starved recently, your body is exhausted," Heimdall motioned for Bucky to drink up, "that will restore your strength for what is to come." Bucky eyed the flask wearily, sniffed at the contents, then took a hesitant sip, not even enough to taste it. "The whole thing."

He took a larger drink and shivered as it slipped down his throat. When he drank, the liquid tasted slightly sweet, like water mixed with some kind of berry. As soon as he swallowed it became ice cold and left his throat and stomach chilled. In comparison, his skin felt warm, almost hot. The more Bucky drank the more the warmth of his skin became a comforting heat that slowly spread to his insides. By the time he was finished Bucky felt no pain, no weariness, and no hunger. He felt refreshed, alive. To be frank, he felt better than he had since before he was even a Howling Commando.

Heimdall smiled at the expression on Bucky's face and glanced over at Inessa. She was making a point of not looking at her companion, "Can we get going now?" The young were always so impatient.

Bucky handed the empty flask back to Heimdall with his most sincere gratitude and the keeper of the Bifrost retrieved his sword from the controls, "We may go, little one. Keep your hoods up and your eyes down. It is not safe for Midgardians in Asgard right now." There was something beneath his words, a warning he couldn't give aloud. Inessa followed him without reservation, but it made Bucky uneasy.

Thanks to the Counsel of Yggdrasil they were in enemy territory- up shit creek with no paddle. It was open season on Inessa- maybe on him too. He had to stop being reactive and start being proactive. He tried to slip into the mentality of the Assassin, but Vision's words drifted back to him, " _We need the Nomad_ ". He adjusted his focus away from who he could kill to how he could _help_.

Inessa was focused on her target at the exclusion of all else, so he needed to take up the slack. From beneath his hood he peered at everything around them- the edges of the Bifrost could hide enemies underneath, balconies that they passed would allow for an ambush, bushes in the hills weren't the hiding place of a professional, but never overlook a civilian meaning to make a name for themselves. Bucky was also choosing his questions carefully, what would get him the most intel without wasting time?

"Who are your friends? I take it we're joining with them later?"

"We are, and I can't answer the first question."

Rather than waste time arguing, he moved on, "Sam says Steve and the others died in the explosion, but you say they were gone before that. Elaborate."

"I was in the Tower. Sam, Vision, and Wanda were coming in from another base, they weren't there yet. Things got too quiet, so I went looking around. None of them were there. I looked for their signatures in the Valley in time to see Natasha's vanish. Whoever has them took them away. Far away. That's how I know they're alive, that they were taken."

"Why was there a door covered in Nadya's venom?"

Inessa's body language was totally unknowable under the cloak, but her voice was a touch softer, "After I noticed they were gone someone pinned me down with that frequency Tony's buddy created. The room I was in was sealed off, Nadya tried to break the door down. I found the emitter and destroyed it, then got the hell out before the Tower went boom."

"Why were you smiling when we fell off the Tower?" That bothered him the most- that grin.

Her voice was hard again, "Something finally played out in my favor. There's nothing wrong with appreciating good luck."

"I _felt_ the frequency. You shouldn't have been able to use your powers at all."

Inessa laughed, " _Three years ago_ I had a friend hack JARVIS and edit the frequency. In case you didn't notice, the thing on my neck isn't inhibiting me either. The Shadow King on Niflheim _and_ whoever took the Avengers used the old frequency. That's why we're here- looking for answers. Sam and his gang will _never_ be able to hold me with what they've got. JARVIS doesn't even remember being hacked."

Bucky was amazed at that, "Who the hell is your friend?"

"Amadeus Cho, my lieutenant... Former lieutenant..." the mirth was gone from her voice.

"Is he with Sam's gang?"

Bucky glanced over and saw the hood nod, "Knowing him he joined to try and convince Sam to put me on trial or something. He's loyal, he'll try to catch me, not kill me. _If_ they come this far." Now she sounded sad.

"Ask your last question," Heimdall advised. They were entering the shadow of the Palace.

"What exactly is the clue that brought you here?" She'd hinted at some things, but Bucky wasn't about to rely on guesswork.

"I've been helping Asgard with a problem for a while now. On my last mission, in Niflheim, the Shadow King used Tony's frequency against me. Trapped me in the Valley in Shadow form for two days before my allies here, Thor's Warriors Three, got to me. The Shadow King did something to my body, caused all sorts of trouble for me later down the road. It was the beginning of the end. When the Avengers were taken, that frequency was used again. King Odin is the only one who might know the unaltered frequency- Thor gave it to him a long time ago, we didn't think anything of it at the time. It began here, the trail leads here, so we start here."

"One last question," Bucky stopped on the threshold where the rainbow bridge of the Bifrost turned into golden tile. Inessa stopped too, "Before you knocked me out of the way of that creature, Muhammad was showing me something- the things that changed because I told the others about my visions. I didn't see what the last thing was- but I know you were involved somehow. What did you do?"

Inessa immediately stepped over the threshold and stopped by Heimdall's side. Bucky glanced at her fingers peeking out from beneath the sleeves- she wasn't just trembling, she was _shaking_.

* * *

"CLEAR THE THRONE ROOM!" Heimdall's deep voice cut through the chatter of the guards and nobles in the Allfather's court. Silence fell as the people looked to the speaker then promptly left through the nearest door. When the keeper of the Bifrost demands a private audience with Odin, he gets it. Fast. Especially since the murderer of the Allfather's only son and heir is on the other end of the bridge he guards.

Bucky peeked through the hood of his cloak, but he couldn't see far in front of them. All he made out were the bases of several alabaster columns. Judging by the echo as Heimdall spoke and the others departed it was a massive room, like the halls they'd walked to get to this place. He had the distinct impression that the moment he was free to look around he'd feel like an ant in the home of a giant. Bucky laid a hand on one of the knives in the belt of his old uniform. Hopefully someone had thought to keep the blades clean and sharp over the last five years...

"Who are these people?" An old, deep voice reverberated around them. He spoke softly and with a friendly tone, but if he'd shouted the impact wouldn't have been greater. There was no doubt in Bucky's mind that this was a leader used to commanding massive armies into battle (As if Thor's stories had ever left that in question).

"An Ambassador from Midgard and their escort, my King."

"Did I not order you to close the Bifrost?" the voice crew quieter, colder.

"Yes, my King, to new business. The Ambassador arranged for this visit several months ago."

When Odin spoke next his voice had returned to the more mild tone, "You must forgive a grieving father, Ambassador. My son was killed on your world only a month ago." he sniffled with false grief, "I am unwilling to meet with dignitaries at this time."

Whoever he thought the Ambassador was, it certainly wasn't Inessa, "Cut the bullshit." She removed her cloak and Bucky quickly followed suit.

He was right. He felt like an ant. Dozens of gleaming columns lined the throne room, holding up a golden ceiling high above. The room had been built to hold hundreds, maybe even thousands. The floors were golden tile, the walls rose-colored marble (or something similar), and light flooded in from every angle. It felt like they were standing in the center of a sunset. Roughly fifty yards away sat the king on a massive golden throne with a pointed spear-like weapon set into one arm. If Thor wielded Mjolnir, what kind of weapon would the King of Asgard keep for himself?

Odin himself was the perfect image of a warrior-king. He wore golden battle armor, bracers, and grieves. A helm and gauntlets sat on one arm of the magnificent throne. His platinum eye patch twinkled as he leaned in to take a look at them, then glare up at Heimdall, "Leave us now. We will discuss your treachery later, Heimdall."

"Yes, my King," their escort bowed and turned. He cast a quick, worried look to Inessa, but she kept her eyes locked on Odin. If she was going to keep facing down her enemies like this then Bucky really had his work cut out for him. Would a little subtlety kill her?

"Nadya Ryker, killer of Thor," he sneered, then glanced at Bucky and his metal arm, "James Barnes, the Winter Soldier."

"Nomad. I'm just Nomad now," he glanced at his comrade, "and I'm fairly certain _she_ would prefer 'Inessa'."

"Cute," he hated Odin after just the one word. "What do you think you are doing in my presence?"

Inessa had a familiar look to her, but Bucky couldn't place it. What was she up to? "I came for information."

"I could kill you in an instant," Odin mused, "no one would question it. Not even Heimdall."

"You're going to answer my questions."

"Am I now?" Odin's eyebrows rose, "I would be interested to know your reasoning behind that."

She bristled slightly, but that familiar coolness returned almost instantly, "Because it's in your best interest to do so."

"How's that?"

 _She's bluffing_? That was it, the familiar look. Inessa was a wicked card player, even when she was recovering from the trauma of what he'd done to her during her time in Hydra custody she could always manage a poker face. She hadn't been able to look people in the eye, or at any part of anyone really, but she'd kept a cool, even look whenever they played. She was doing it now, playing a game. He said a silent prayer to anyone listening that she had a good hand.

"Answer my questions- truthfully mind you- and I leave peacefully. _Don't_ answer my questions, touch that weapon, and I melt away. You'll get to spend the rest of _my_ lifetime watching over your shoulder and waiting for an attack." Odin's face was reddening, he wasn't someone used to being threatened, "Tell me, how long do you think you can stand to stay in the light?"

"YOU DARE THREATEN ODIN BORSON, KING OF ASGARD?!" He slammed a fist on the arm of his throne and stood. Bucky whipped out a knife and braced for an attack.

"No," Inessa kept her voice level and did not raise it in response to his rage. She was ready to make the gamble, "I dare to threaten the imposter who sits on his throne, Loki. I _dare_ to threaten the Shadow King."

* * *

For story notes visit **ProjectEchoFanfic** dot **tumblr** dot **com**.

I know Loki and the Shadow King are 2 different characters in canon, so consider this a _new_ Shadow King :)


	11. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: 99 Days Before the Explosion**

"OK Marie, now follow the sweep with a punch." Amadeus directed her through hour two of combat training- though it would help if he looked up from his computer screen once or twice.

 _Straighten out your arm_ , Noelle mouthed, gesturing to show Marie how she should stand. She'd explained the process to their new member on day 1- Amadeus "leads", they pretend he's in charge. Steve gave Inessa permission to choose her own lieutenant, freeing her from the part of the truce decreeing one of Steve's Secret Avengers be lieutenant of each team, but she'd refused. Amadeus could be great, if he focused a bit. She'd put Noelle in charge of helping him realize that potential (or at least made her promise to not mutiny).

"Lift your elbow another inch or so," Natasha called from the doorway. Marie obeyed immediately, "Too much. Don't lock it, just raise it."

Five days with all Avengers leaders in-house (except for Inessa of course). Marie was still nervous, doubly so around the super-soldier assassin.

"Any word?" Amadeus immediately closed his computer and stood to meet Natasha.

She shook her head, "Still nothing. Heimdall told Thor King Odin dispatched Lady Sif to join Hogun and Volstagg over ten hours ago. They followed tracks to some old fort, but I wouldn't put too much faith in that."

"And why is that, Marie?" Amadeus sighed and hung his head. Inessa's favorite exercise, taught to her by Fandrel- figure out the strategy.

"Anyone who knows enough to take Inessa against her will wouldn't be so easy to track." As soon as Marie formally accepted the position Amadeus had begun with the near constant testing of her deductive reasoning. She had a ways to go to keep up with him and Noelle, but she learned quickly, and he appreciated that.

Natasha paced, "Still no luck with any of the Helius devices."

Marie didn't wait for prompting from Amadeus this time, "Meaning the Valley was opened from another realm. If they have her body, they've figured out how to lock her powers and the Shadow is inside, not with her."

"The longer she's out of body the harder it is for her to open a doorway-"

"That takes a few weeks," Natasha cut Amadeus off, "don't worry until we reach that point." she nodded to Marie, "Any news on our other issue?"

"No," Amadeus was angry now, "I can't figure out jack shit. Inessa was right, Indonesia _should_ have been fine, at least for a few weeks. Whatever it is we missed, I can't find it."

"Three thousand two hundred and twelve dead," Noelle said softly, "We should have stopped it."

"If we'd been looking then we would have," even though he agreed with Inessa's parting orders, even though he wasn't the one who blew the reactor, he still felt guilty. A cloud of radioactive ash over Gorontalo province... It was preventable. They'd missed it.

The Laskar Bali crime "family" was on everyone's radar, but it was the Keponakan, the "nephew" wing that Inessa and her team were called in to monitor. Authorities in Indonesia suspected the members of the Keponakan were gearing up for a major attack, prompting them to reach out to the Avengers to figure out what their target might be. They were notified via JARVIS that the case was marked for Black Ops- meaning there would likely be no survivors. Apprehension caught the criminals. Black Ops stopped them for good. Some governments backed down when they saw that, cancelled their requests, but the people of Indonesia were desperate enough to press on. They didn't know if there even was a target, who may be involved, or if it _was_ Keponakan, but Inessa accepted the case and the Shadow Unit began their investigation.

Access cards, certifications, low grade explosives- they were getting ready for an attack alright, but for what? Shadow Ops had the closest thing in the world to a license to kill, but Inessa insisted they be _positive_ before going in. It was no use stopping a handful from blowing up a building if their friends burned down a city block a week later. In the days before a plan comes together the players tend to make themselves known- in this case the extra players turned out to be a separatist wing from a rival gang. No one was watching the Indonesians, no one picked up the warning signs.

Not until they smuggled their bombs into the nuclear plant and blew the reactor cooling lines.

In the early moments, after JARVIS' systems detected an imminent overload, the Avengers mobilized. They couldn't stop it from happening, but they could draw from the children and non-combat gifted at Camp Hammond to bolster their ranks with shield-casters and a few energy absorbers to keep the damage contained. It felt more like they'd gone in to seal the fate of everyone in the disaster zone. The only silver lining was that the Shadow Unit knew the players in Keponakan, their names, addresses, routines. Before the shields came down around Gorontalo province the Keponakan were no more- not were their allies.

Amadeus made the call to keep the tragedy from Inessa, at least until she returned. Thor voted to send her an immediate summons, but what good would that have done? She couldn't have changed what happened.

Natasha felt bad for the team. She'd been trying for two weeks to convince Amadeus it wasn't his fault. Sometimes things just move faster than you can anticipate, but it wouldn't make any difference unless the words came from Inessa. He respected her more than anyone (save Steve), no matter how many of her orders he flaunted.

"Let's just call it a day." Amadeus waved over Noelle and Marie, "We'll resume after we know what's happening with Inessa. Heimdall promised to keep THor in the loop, we've got to trust that he'll keep his word."

Noelle patted him on the back, "Chin up. She'll be here soon."

"You've been saying that for two days."

"And now it's two days closer to whenever she gets here."

"Damn your relentless cheer."

Noelle just smiled kindly, "After we get our showers we'll declare war on Clint's team, OK? You always enjoy messing with the espionage crews."

"I'm not hearing this," Natasha plugged her ears and hummed loudly.

"It's not as much fun without Inessa helping us cheat."

"It's _still_ pretty fun."

Amadeus sighed and nodded, "Yeah, it is..." something buzzed over comms and he held up a hand to signal Natasha- sometimes humming threw the speaker out of whack. He was working on a fix with Tony.

JARVIS came through, "Attention all Avengers. Helius device activated."

"Get to the landing pad," Natasha waved the Shadow Unit out of the room and hailed her own team. The Tower was maxed out with everyone gathered for both Steve's birthday (five days before) and the Leader's Meeting, so everyone knew already what happened to the missing leader. They were a tight-knit group and one team's plight was felt by all- everyone wanted to see that she arrived safely back home.

"Shadow Unit gets the front!" Amadeus shouted at a handful of Clint's people who were dropping from the rafters and likewise heading for the Bifrost landing site.

Steve and Thor were already outside, but in all it took just three minutes for all Avengers to assemble. Only the Shadow Unit stood as a team, the rest were mixed into one large crowd. The _hum_ of Tony's shield emphasized the silence as it blocked the group from any curious eyes on the adjacent buildings. Every Avenger was on high alert. The leaders stood around Amadeus, Noelle, and Marie.

"We don't know what happened yet, only that for the first time since Loch Nessa's disappearance we've established a connection to the Valley via Helius," Tony addressed the group, then Banner took over.

"We're hoping Nessa comes home soon, but at least we _should_ get a report from Heimdall. Just in case things are bad, make sure we've got a straight path to the medical rooms," the crowd parted accordingly.

"No one mentions Indonesia," Clint warned, "we want to get her home safely first, make sure she's alright. Let _us_ break it to her on our own time, got it?" There were murmurs of agreement, "She'll know something's up, but don't let her weasel it out of you. Don't even discuss it in private."

Thor held up a hand and the balcony went silent. He listened a moment to something the others couldn't hear, then frowned, "Inessa has been recovered, but something is amiss." Most of the crowd waited for the bad side of whatever Thor had been told, but some cheered. Amadeus hugged Noelle. Thor cursed in Asgardian, "Anyone with psychic or energy-related powers should go to the medical lab now! Banner, you will be needed as well!"

"What is it?" Steve stopped the dozen or so Avengers who turned to leave. If something was wrong, they all needed to know.

"Inessa's body was used in an Asgardian blood magic ritual. The purpose was unfamiliar to Heimdall, but if they did something to her..."

"Anyone with a power that can take a reading of her when she arrives uses it. Temperature, energy signature, radiation, bone density- if a single thing is in the smallest way off then we need to know ASAP, go!" Another four detached with the twelve.

Banner patted Amadeus' shoulder as he headed in, "It'll be alright, don't worry."

Amadeus swallowed hard and nodded. He wasn't celebrating now. Marie felt useless, she could manipulate temperature, but she couldn't read it.

Everyone waited in tense silence for fifteen minutes. No one spoke, they took their cue from the leaders and tried to remain calm. Wanda was holding Vision's hand. Sam took his Unit Partner's other hand to stop her from tapping it against her leg in a nervous fidget. Steve and Tony shooed off Barkey when he jumped at Steve to get his attention- he wanted to play.

"Incoming!" Thor announced at last. Everyone shifted to widen the path to the doors. The Avengers glanced around nervously. The silver platform of the Bifrost landing site crackled with energy. Tony felt the hair on his arm stand as he went down to one knee along with the others and braced for the wind that accompanied arrivals.

A crack of thunder, a blast of air, and they stood. Inessa was in the middle of a pile of trunks with the med suit next to her. Amadeus' eyes widened at the sight of all the blood covering her arms and the back half of her body. She'd been in a puddle of it- her back was still dripping.

"Med bay, now," Steve jumped up and pulled a trunk out of the way.

"Thor, rinse me off first?" the pick-me-up from Sif was a temporary boost, Inessa's eyes were starting to burn again. Had the jackasses somehow propped them open for two days?

"No," Steve stopped Thor from summoning a storm, "let them handle it in the lab. You don't want to risk messing with anything or losing any clues."

Inessa looked around for her team as she climbed down from the platform. She was glad to see Marie had chosen to stay, "Amadeus, you good?"

"I'll be better when you're back in charge," he quipped. He was more relieved to see Inessa than he'd admit under torture.

"Noelle?"

"Happy to see you, boss."

"Marie, what did I tell you?" Inessa smiled as she headed in, "Muddy or bloody." She spun once to emphasize the state she was in, then entered the Tower.

"JARVIS, tell me you've got a scan of wherever she was found." Tony came to the med suit immediately.

"Uploading 3D rendering to the house system now, sir."

"Where are my nerds at?" Tony called to the Avengers on the balcony. With much grumbling several raised their hands, Amadeus, Noelle, and Marie included. Even Steve, Natasha, and Vision joined. "Go look at the scan, then hit the books. Try to get a lead on the nature of this 'magic' they used."

"Teleporters, you're with us. If we don't have a book, you're getting it." Steve pointed to the Tower doors. "The rest of you, check out the scans, see if you notice any clues. We're focusing on identifying the blood magic, you're focusing on identifying everything else."

Wanda kissed Vision on the cheek, gave Sam a friendly hug, then went with Clint to watch over Inessa.

* * *

"JARVIS needs a day or two to go over the results of the tests, and the team wants to run them again every day for one week, for security sake." Clint spoke from behind a screen while Inessa showered off all the blood. It would be collected and tested as well, even though they'd taken enough swabs of it. They'd confiscated her uniform to study the symbols drawn on it- and her undergarments, in case the blood soaked through. Wanda was raiding her closet for a change of clothes.

"Yeah, well, whatever they want they get. The whole damn planet was Shadow-proofed. I want to know what they were doing that was important enough for that kind of effort- and why they made it so easy for Lady Sif and the Warriors Three to mount a rescue. If they'd taken my body off-world I would have been fucked, so why leave it there?"

Clint nodded to himself, "It certainly does _feel_ like a trap."

"Ugh," Inessa scrubbed at her back for the fifth time, "Blood. Why blood? If anyone had some kind of disease..."

"Why not just hop into the Valley, leave the blood behind, then come back clean?" she'd done it before.

"I did that twice already. I still feel gross. It's a psychological thing," if she washed her hair one more time it would start falling out, but Inessa wasn't ready to declare herself clean. It was too nasty of a thought, being drenched in her friend's blood for who knows how long. She felt like it was still on her. Maybe she should suck it up and wash her hair _one_ more time...

"The Leader's meeting is being postponed until you get a clean bill. The others are arranging a prank war to take everyone's mind off of it."

"Good."

"You want to team up?"

"I'm sitting this one out." If anything _that_ made Clint worry. She never missed an opportunity to goof around with the Avengers.

"GUYS, WE'VE GOT AN EMERGENCY IN HERE!" Clint shouted. Banner, three med suits, and two Avengers were in the room within fifteen seconds, "Nessie says she doesn't want to join the prank war!" Banner stared at him a moment, wide-eyed and panting as the adrenaline hit him. He flipped Clint off then retreated without a word, "Sorry Bruce!"

"One of these days he's going to Hulk out on you and _then_ what will you do?"

"Soil myself, curl into the fetal position, cry like a 5 year old, and wait for Nat to save me."

"So brave," Wanda came in with an armful of clothes and a towel. She glanced around the edge of the curtain, "Turn around... OK Nessa, you're clean. Come out before your skin looks like grape." She turned back to Clint and waited until the water shut off. He raised his eyebrows suggestively and Wanda rolled her eyes, "Grow up."

"What number day is it?" Inessa reached out blindly and Wanda passed her the clothes and towel.

"July the ninth."

Inessa swore in Russian, "I missed Steve's birthday?"

"Sorry kiddo."

"Wanda-"

"I found the gift, made sure he received it. He listens to the old records every day."

Inessa held up an arm over the curtain so Wanda could high-five her, "Thank you!"

"It is no problem, my sister."

"What else did I miss?" Inessa came out from behind the curtain wearing her sweats with her hair in the strange towel-turban all women seemed to magically know. Clint didn't understand it. Neither answered. Inessa looked between the two, "What? What did I miss?"

Clint fielded this one, "Don't worry about it, OK? We'll fill you in at the Leader's meeting."

"Just tell me- active case, new case, or closed case?"

"It was active case, now it is closed case. We will discuss it later."

"OK, well, we're looking at this thing in Indonesia, can you ask Steve if he can take the Shadow Unit and do a check-up?"

"The Indonesia matter was settled while you were gone," Clint didn't let his voice betray him, "You just need to focus on whatever happened in Niflheim right now. Help Thor go through the Asgardian books- after you've had some real food and a nap. Your pal Forseti maxed out the carrying capacity of _two_ trunks. I think he was worried about you."

"What are the odds he included an instruction manual for illegal blood magic rituals?"

Clint smiled, "Probably not all that great."

"Then let's hope the Shadow King goes after Asgard again, soon. I'm sure by now, with Fandrel's mouth, all of the realms know about the blood magic. If the Counsel calls me back I'm willing to bet Forseti will have intel for me."

"Go sleep, then focus on research." Wanda advised her, "Leave me with my friend! If you will not join the prank war, then my team will use her."

Inessa whistled and Nadya hopped out of a shadow in the corner of the room. She wagged her tail and ran at Clint and Wanda, ready to play, "Are you really sitting this one out?" Clint pouted as he scratched under Nadya's chin.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Inessa walked out of the medical rooms and headed up to her apartment.

* * *

Every Avenger customized their space to match their personality and preferences. Steve's had started out heavily influenced by his 1940s home and now was somewhere in limbo between the past and the modern world- just as he preferred it to be. Thor decorated his in Asgardian marble with intricate sculptures and engravings as if it were just another room in the royal palace.

Inessa's floor wasn't as nostalgic as all that. She couldn't look back to _before_ , no matter what she pretended. To get to her pre-Hydra past, she had to look through two years of her life she could never face- she had to see Dennisson. So, when it came to deciding what to put in her apartment she simply chose whatever made her happy. No looking backwards. Only forwards. Everything was soft, from the cream carpet to the storm cloud blue walls- gentle tones and gentle fabrics.

Dozens of pictures lined the walls in silver frames- life, from her perspective. Beginning with the only life that mattered to her anymore. The first pictures she'd taken from security images JARVIS supplied her with- Clint and Natasha in their apartment of the Old Tower with the mindless shell of the mysterious child they'd named 'Inessa' _._ The Avengers gathered together in the Tower for Simmons' first medical briefing. It was tough to find pictures of that time, even from security- everyone was so tense, so on-edge. After they'd found out the Shadow wasn't their enemy it was easier. Clint's farmhouse, Sam and Natasha sparring, NOVA night with Banner, learning to roast marshmallows with Thor, Steve and Tony bickering (for some reason that always made her smile). The rest of the years were mapped out on the walls- their first mission with Wanda and Vision, Steve smiling for the first time in months as he woke up in a secret recovery room and realized they'd given him his escape from being Captain America, the Secret Avengers, missions with her best friend Mallory and the SHIELD teams, Tony and Banner standing on the remains of the Old Tower, already planning how to rebuild, Clint and Natasha standing between Tony and Steve as they signed the treaty, the first group shot of the Avengers reunited and expanded, Lady Sif with the Warriors Three on her first mission to the Realms, Wanda and Vision's wedding photo, her first team picture.

Inessa rebuilt her life around her friends, her new family. She didn't try to think about her life _before_. Only her life now, the one she made for herself. She took a moment in the living room, looking at each picture in turn. It calmed her nerves and helped her relax a moment before continuing on to her bedroom (equally covered in pictures). "JARVIS, my notebook please." A pad of paper and a pen dropped from a secure hatch hidden in the ceiling of the bedroom. Inessa caught it lightly and sat on the edge of her bed, "Security protocol 3-Alpha," her floor went to maximum security lockdown. Metal spilled down the windows and over the door like liquid. With a shock of electricity the Vibranium shades hardened and signal-cancelling devices clicked on. Locking the door would have been fine too, but Inessa never risked anyone finding out what she was up to. One percent probability was too high, she'd loose the trust of one of her closest friends if he knew.

She opened the little notebook and pulled her pen out of the side. In it she wrote every single detail she remembered of the Niflheim ambush- Calder's commands, the design and purpose of the device that locked her out, even movement patterns of the Shadow King's troops. Something wasn't right with King Odin, and now she knew Fandrel, Volstagg, and Hogun agreed. Inessa had been doing what she could to put the pieces together for some time now, but it was all a jumble. Odin, from what she knew from Thor, wasn't the kind of King to act on pride or a whim. Was that the biased eyes of a son who respected his father, or was something simply _wrong_? Thor would kill her ( _probably_ not literally) if he knew she was treating his father like a case, a mission, but she had 130 days now to figure it out. Right now all she had was that he was allied with the Shadow King in some way- either he was working with him, working for him, or _was_ the bastard. That was as far as she could get.

"Catch," she tossed the notebook into the air and a claw snatched it away, back to the hiding space. "Clear Alpha protocol."

 _Loki_ _could be the Shadow King_ , she dismissed the thought almost immediately. Inessa was tired, stressed, she was over-thinking it. Odin would never ally with the Jotun prince, even if he _had_ raised the boy. Besides, everyone knew Loki was dead.

Wasn't he?


	12. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The Shadow King**

Odin shifted on his throne and prepared to attack despite Inessa's promise to vanish into the shadows, "What do you-"

She rolled her eyes, "Are we really going to do this? Just _once_ can't one of you simply say, 'You found me out' and then we go back to the threatening bit?"

"What you are implying is high treason," he sneered, "not that I need an excuse to kill you anymore."

"More threats? Jesus," Inessa needed an ally here. Bucky shook his head in mock disappointment and wandered slightly away from her, splitting Odin's target in two, "Loki, playing King is high treason too. _We_ could kill you for it just as easily as you could kill her."

"I'm not-"

"We are! We're doing this again," Inessa threw up her arms. "Thanos doesn't do reruns with his 'children'. Every monster is unique. The Shadow King- Anansi? He's a trickster posing as a god from Midgardian mythology. Loki, basically. That wasn't Thanos' M.O. Therefore Loki equals the Shadow King."

"Cul Borson was under a hell of a lot of guard for a long ass time, then what? He strolls away and you don't even warn Thor? Clue number one. You didn't want to fight the Shadow King, you didn't even care when his forces closed in on Asgard. Clue number two. You sent Calder to order us to disperse, even though we had a shot at capturing or killing the Shadow King once and for all. You knew we wouldn't give up without one last sweep, and you made damn sure we did that at night, maximize the probability I'll fight as the Shadow and not in-body so you can lock me out and do whatever the hell you did with my body. Calder was clue three, if you're having trouble following."

"The only way all those pieces fit," Bucky took over and pretended he knew what the hell he was saying so they'd _look_ like a team, "is if the Shadow King, Loki, and you are one person."

King Odin sneered, "There is a flaw in your logic, _boy_." He turned his attention back to Inessa, "Why would I strike at my own people? The people of neighboring realms which I do not even _rule_?"

"Because you know they're figuring out King Odin isn't quite right, and the 'I lost my wife' excuse has worn too thin." Bucky snapped his fingers until Odin looked back at him, "You're covering your ass. Invade before anyone else guesses what's up. Now, can we stop with the game? Dress-up is so _childish_."

Odin grabbed his scepter but wisely chose not to draw it from the golden throne. He looked like he was ready to strangle them both, but Inessa casually stretched her hands so the tips poked out from the robes- she had long, black claws. Bucky tried to keep his interest off his face- she'd told Natasha years ago she could do it, but Bucky had never seen her try. What was this display going to cost her- summoning shadows that strong in a bright room?

Evidently her threat of violence was enough. Finally, King Odin vanished in a flash of green light. In his place sat a smaller, much less impressive man. His long greasy black hair, pale skin, and lean frame made him look hungry- feral. This kind of guy always had a trick up his sleeve or, if he was truly caught, he'd gladly chew off his own arm for freedom. Dangerous. Deadly.

"What do you want? Safe harbor?" he sneered. Loki stood and walked towards them. Bucky pulled out two of his best blades. Inessa threw off the cloak and adjusted her stance. Both of them knew from Thor's tales that Loki didn't need a weapon in his hand to be dangerous.

"Don't insult me," Inessa's tone was no longer conversational. Loki stopped just out of attack range and crossed his arms, "Any promises you made us would end with a knife in each of our backs."

"Fine then. If you cannot trust me then why are you here? Oh!" he clapped his hands and smiled, "Are you planning to kill me?"

"I'm not here for a coup," Inessa dismissed the notion, "I have more pressing concerns."

Loki put on a mocking pout, "Oh, I've heard. Poor Thor. He will be missed. Not by me, but I'm sure we'll find someone."

Bucky stepped forward with a growl. Inessa held up a hand and he paused obediently- though it made Loki smile more, "I'm here for information. I want to know-"

"Who killed them? Other than you, of course?" Loki cut her off, "I'm afraid that's not something I can share. It is, as you Midgardians say, above my pay grade."

"Don't worry," Inessa smiled, "I know a pawn when I see one." Loki's face darkened. Before he could reply she continued, "Like I was saying- I'm here for information. What was the blood magic you used on me and who gave you the devices to lock me out of Niflheim? An explanation and a name. That's it. I leave, you keep your stolen crown."

"Inessa-" she shut Bucky down with a glare. Now, if he had any doubts, Loki would know for sure they weren't truly united. They'd be less of a threat in his eyes.

He relaxed visibly. Bucky cursed internally, "And what guarantee do I have that you will not simply return later and expose me?"

"We had a few books of Asgardian magic back in New York," she waved a hand and her claws vanished- less a show of trust (what Loki would think) and more because they were simply unsustainable in the throne room. "I know you can cast a charm to seal my lips and lock my hands down- so long as the subject is willing. I wouldn't be able to speak or write any secrets you don't want me sharing."

He considered it, "I keep my throne, my place as Odin?"

"We're here for intel, not a war," Inessa could tell she'd won him over, or at least would if she pushed a bit more, "You stay king, and now that the treaty is through and my alliance with the Counsel is obviously shot there is nothing between your army and Asgard. Two answers in exchange for your security- at least from me. Or," her tone stiffened, "I leave, whisper to the world who and what you are. Even if only one person in a thousand believes it will spread through the realms like wildfire and haunt you to the grave. Are you prepared for that? My friends loved me, but it took 100 days for them to turn. Your people are already disgruntled, how fast will they drag you off that pretty throne?"

"That streak of righteousness in your blood? It's no different than that in Steven Rogers. You would never just leave me to rule or allow me to bring an army to threaten Asgard."

"It takes a team of nearly forty of us to keep Earth in line. I don't have time to care about the eight other realms anymore. Asgard will have to defend herself. Right now I just want to find out who is pulling the strings."

Loki thought it through for a good long while. Bucky eyed the doors wearily, waiting for someone to peek in and check on their king. None of htis was a good idea, but who was he to judge? He sold himself to Dennisson once upon a time for a similar bargain.

"How _precisely_ do you propose we proceed?" Loki was won over.

Inessa had been considering the same question while he thought through the proposal, "My mind first, then you answer one question. Bucky's mind second, then the last question and we part ways."

"No," Bucky stepped forward, "me first. If he double crosses us and does something he shouldn't you can stop anything he makes me do faster than I could stop you."

"Magic like this requires _consent_ ," Loki rolled his eyes, "I couldn't double cross you with it. Fool."

"Oh, I think you could if you really wanted to, you'd find a way."

Loki grinned darkly, "You may actually be smarter than you appear." He turned back to Inessa and smiled, "You have a deal."

Inessa didn't like this one bit. It went against everything she believed in, but what other option did she have? To get answers, to have a _prayer_ at finding the people who meant the most to her in all the world- in any world- she had to compromise. Even if it meant leaving a tyrant on the throne of Asgard. Inessa was bluffing when she threatened to slip into the Valley. She couldn't set foot in that place- not anymore, but she kept reminding herself Loki did not have the discipline necessary to orchestrate the kidnapping of the Avengers. She needed the ringleader, so she had to _make_ Loki believe her lies. She had to play this game.

"Kneel," Loki came over to Bucky (who unwillingly sheathed his blades) and grinned savagely. The soldier had seen his schtick in Germany on security footage. He wasn't going to play along. Loki laughed and abruptly his face was friendly, honest, open- infinitely less trustworthy, "This is no power play James Barnes. The magics involved will disorient you for a time. Or would you rather tip over and fall from your _full_ height?"

He was too much like Alexander Pierce. Bucky's blood boiled, but just like Inessa in that same moment he told himself it was a necessary evil. Something that couldn't be helped if he was going to find the Avengers.

"Same time, we both do this." Bucky watched Loki carefully as they both took a knee. He was too confident, he agreed too readily. It would be up to Inessa to deal with any damage he caused. Bucky closed his eyes and felt Loki grab onto his shoulders and lock him in place.

"Deep breath now, then let me work. If you fight anything I will not be able to do this and you get no information from me." Bucky cleared his mind.

Loki clawed through his head and sealed away every mention of his name, every suspicion, every criticism he'd felt or heard about Odin and his rule of Asgard. Bucky would remember, but Loki was making it impossible to pass on the information in any way. Attempting to warn anyone would shut down the speech and motor parts of his brain temporarily. He wouldn't be able to do so much as tap out a warning.

Bucky's mind reeled as Loki dove through it and wrapped him in a web of Asgardian magic. He hated to admit it, but he was glad to be on his knees. It felt like he was spinning in circles while looking up at the sky.

Abruptly Loki released Bucky and let him slump to the floor. While her companion groaned he stood and came closer to Inessa, "Your first question?"

"Where did you get the devices from- I want the _maker_ , not the delivery boy." She wasn't going to fall for any of Loki's famous wordplay.

"The Collector. Ready?" Inessa had heard of the man, but never dealt with him. From his reputation he had to be a middle man- if he wanted to add the Avengers to his cache of rare items he'd have taken her too. Everything she'd seen over the last few months painted a rough picture of who she was after- someone malicious, cruel, and ruthless. Still, she had the next piece of the puzzle.

As soon as Bucky's head stopped spinning he stood up and flashed Inessa a thumbs up. She dropped to her knees and closed her eyes without a word. Loki grabbed her and Bucky watched, heart pounding, as he squirreled his way into her mind. She began to sway and shadows poured from her. Bucky pulled his blade back out. Loki was going to betray them, it was how he operated. As soon as he was done with Inessa their threat level plummeted.

Either he was mocking her or buying time- Loki didn't simply drop Inessa as he had Bucky. He loosened his grip and helped her as she tried to shake the incredibly dizziness the magic brought. He even helped her to her feet- feigning compassion obviously. Only when she had been standing alone for several moments did he speak, "Question two, take your time."

"The blood magic," Inessa panted, "What did you do to me? What spell did you work on Niflheim?"

"None at all," Loki stepped back towards his throne and smiled, "It was commissioned. I don't do blood magic- too messy."

There it was- his game, "Then tell me who cast the spell!"

"I'm afraid that wasn't part of our agreement," Loki shimmered and Odin again stood before them, "Two questions, two answers. I've upheld my end, you upheld yours, so I believe our transaction is complete." he turned and twisted the handle of the scepter in the throne. Too late Inessa realized what it was- another transmitter. She tried to open a doorway, summon Nadya, re-form her claws- anything, but she was powerless.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," he winked, then Odin's face morphed into one of pure agony, "GUARDS!" his voice cracked on the word. Instantly the doors flew open and a full troop flooded the control room. Bucky wheeled around and threw a knife at one man, but a shield slammed into the side of his face, then another hit behind his knees, forcing him down. Inessa watched Bucky being pummeled into submission and simply stood with her hands out from her body and away from the scythes. She extended her reach as far as possible, but either Loki had the realm locked down just like Niflheim or his reach extended that of her powers.

"They killed Prince Thor! They killed my boy!" tears streamed down Odin/Loki's face, "Lock them in my brother's cell! Summon Calder back from patrol! I want her dead! I want her dead!" he broke down into sobs. Inessa snarled at him as the guards grabbed her and dragged her roughly out of the hall. Her blood was cold in her veins. Loki was summoning Calder? What did he have up his sleeve?

How was she supposed to get out of Asgard alive?

* * *

"Keep looking you little shit!" Sam nearly shoved Amadeus' head into the keyboard, "We need to know _where_ that bitch went NOW!"

"I'm trying-"

"TRYING ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH! SHE KILLED OUR FRIENDS! SHE KILLED-"

"I KNOW! That doesn't make it any easier to run energy emissions scans on a whole fucking planet!" Amadeus threw his computer at the wall, shattering the screen and breaking the casing open. Sam dragged him to his feet and lifted him by the collar of his shirt.

"STOP IT!" Marie shouted and wedged herself between the two (not easy when Sam practically had Amadeus in the air), "WOULD YOU JUST KNOCK IT OFF?! YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS HER DEAD!" Sam dropped Amadeus and shoved Marie into him, sending both of them to the floor.

"DON'T YOU TELL ME TO KNOCK IT OFF!" he bellowed, "MY FRIENDS ARE _DEAD_ BECAUSE OF HER!" he pointed at Amadeus and his voice lowered to a whisper, "If I find out you're hiding her somewhere I swear to god-"

"I'M NOT HIDING HER! I WANT TO FIND HER JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO!" Amadeus snapped and untangled himself from Marie, "LOOK, I _forgot_ I changed the frequency, OK? I didn't know it wouldn't work! Do you know how long ago that was? Before THANOS. I didn't even know what I was looking at! I didn't change it so she could get away!"

Sam growled, "You lying sack of-"

"Sam! Get out here, we have a visitor you'll want to meet," Geoff snapped from the door. For a moment Amadeus thought he'd ignore the summons, take a swing or five, but Sam just turned and stormed out without a word, "FIND HER!" Geoff yelled, then slammed the door behind him. Amadeus helped Marie up and swore as his hand began to sting- most of the skin on his palm was torn when he tried to brace his landing on the thin carpet.

Marie just glared at him, "It's not bad enough we're under lock-down in here because _he_ thinks we worked with that little bitch but now you're picking fights with Sam and helping her hide?!"

"I. CANNOT. FIND. HER!" Amadeus screamed, "I'VE BEEN AN AVENGER FOR YEARS, YOU'VE BEEN ONE FOR MONTHS, YOU DON'T GET TO QUESTION MY LOYALTIES! Inessa and I have played this game before- I can't find her when she doesn't want to be found!"

"Just fix your damn computer and get back to work. I, for one, would rather be hunting her than be stuck in here with you!"

* * *

Sam could here them bickering from the middle of the floor. He ignored them and focused instead on the visitor. The man was Asgardian, some member of King Odin's private guard- Calder.

"Are you the leader of the Avengers?" the man looked down on him and in Sam's current mood that was a _very_ bad idea.

"You tell me," Sam gestured to the twenty or so people gathered on the 100th floor of the now-vacant Avengers Tower. They'd cleaned out the cubicles and set out cots, it was a small camp, but no one was willing to leave and miss their chance to kill Inessa again. The only decoration in the stark room (pun not intended) was a mural Kelsey had painted on one wall of their lost leaders in an iconic scene from the First Battle of New York.

Calder took in the sight of the rough crew and wrinkled his nose, "Hiding in a ruined building? Hardly the force I was expecting. Nevertheless- King Odin sent me to retrieve you. He has captured Inessa Ryker and her companion, James Barnes. As a gesture of peace between our realms he extends an invitation to you and _TEN_ of your Avengers to come to Asgard and carry out the execution yourselves."

"You're bringing us to Asgard?" Sam glanced around, everyone was curious, "When did Odin capture them? _King_ Odin, sorry."

"Several hours ago. He sent me to you as soon as I returned from a patrolling mission." Calder seemed confused, "He's giving you first blood- you and your chosen team will execute the traitorous wench and her guard- unless you are refusing the offer."

Sam glared, "She killed my friends, destroyed our home, and betrayed our entire _world_ in doing so. She has been manipulating us since _before_ we even got her out of the fridge. You bet your ass I want her dead. But King Odin should have had her killed on sight." He turned and pointed to several Avengers, "Kelsey, Geoff, Raj, Maya, Ellie, Castor, Travis, and Eoin- get your gear, then grab Marie and Amadeus. If they want to prove their loyalty they help us. Otherwise they get locked up until Inessa's dead."

"Help you with what?" Calder was only mildly surprised at the flurry of activity. They had more in mind than attending an execution, clearly.

"You lock Inessa up, she always wriggles her way out. By the time we get there you'll be in need of a hunting party, mark my words."

The team he'd chosen was perfect. He had the best fighters- Maya, Kelsey, Castor, Ellie, and Raj. The rest had powers useful not only in a fight, but also in a hunt- Geoff and Eoin. Travis and Marie were born to subdue prey of any kind, and Amadeus knew more about how Inessa thought than anyone in the world.

Sam was more than ready to wipe Inessa Ryker out of existence- even with her own teammates.

It was time to put the mongrel down for good.

* * *

So so sorry it took so long to get the last couple chapters up! I've been slammed at work- long shoots every day for the last MONTH! But now I have two whole consecutive days off, then a short work week, so the next couple chapters should be quicker :)

If there are spelling/grammar mistakes, please let me know! I tend to type these without looking up much and it's a bit tiring, so I'm sure I've missed keys here and there or edited a sentence halfway through that no longer makes sense. Just send me a DM and I'll fix it!


	13. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: 91 Days Before the Explosion**

 _Bang!_

Inessa winced against the noise. It was a cool July, low 70s, not too windy way up in the penthouses of the Tower. She left a window open and simply forgot to close it. Unfortunately when she went into her apartment hours later the breeze through pulled the door into the frame harder than she intended. They wouldn't believe that though.

 _Three. Two. One-_

"Hey, Nessie?" Sam opened the door and stuck his head into the room, "You alright?"

"Lost my grip on the door, that's all."

Sam came the rest of the way in and closed the door (gently) behind him, "You didn't answer my question."

"Because until we figure out what the Shadow King did I won't be alright. I could be a time bomb."

"Or you could be perfectly fine." Sam challenged, "Who says this blood magic is doing anything to you? MRI, PET, spinal fluid, blood, tissue, and bone marrow tests have all been negative for any anomalies. Four times. No one is detecting anything unusual around you- what if whatever happened was done to scare you? Or to understand you? The Shadow King might just have been learning about his enemy. There are a lot of people in _this_ realm who want to know what you are, is it a reach to think the same of people on others? One of Thanos' killers- you're certainly an oddity."

"You know me Sam," Inessa shook her head, "until I know for sure, I have to go with the worst case scenario."

"You should try optimism for a change."

"People like me- like _us_ \- can't afford it. Expect the worst and be grateful when you get something else."

Sam came to her and put a hand on each shoulder. He spun her around and lightly pushed her to the living room where he made her look at each picture in turn, "The worst has never happened. Everything we've fought, we've come out the other end swinging."

"Not all of us," Inessa thought of the memorial in the training room. Everyone they'd lost- teammates, allies, friends and family. It was a reminder of what happened when they failed, what they were fighting for. Like the black marble statues of the nine fallen Avengers who held up the Tower. She had two people on that wall and among those statues from her original team. Noelle and Marie's predecessors. Every team lost someone to Thanos. She lost two.

"Every time you've gone out- including then- you saved more lives than you ever lost. If you won't look on the bright side then we will do it for you. They've found no sign that whatever the blood magic was it is still affecting you-"

"-Sam-"

"So," he raised his voice over her objection, "when the next tests come back just as negative we _will_ hold the Leader's Meeting. You'll go back to active cases and we will keep looking into blood magic between ours. We're not giving up. We're just making sure something else doesn't happen to _our_ realm while our backs are turned."

"It still feels like giving up."

Sam shrugged and walked back to the door, "It always does, but when we stop looking it usually catches up with us."

"Yeah, and plows through us like Roadrunner."

"Meep meep." Sam winked and left the apartment.

* * *

Asgardian text had an annoying tendency to wiggle and change, as if there were a screen of water between it and the reader. After a week of intense concentration it was downright sickening. The script itself had to be the product of some form of magic- even printed photographs of the text replicated the morphing. There was nothing for it- Inessa had to take another break or risk losing her lunch-again.

She was too jittery to sit still or go back to her room though, so Inessa scanned the faces in the library and tried to find a way to keep busy. Noelle and Amadeus were organizing a new search involving mathematics and astronomical... _things_. Inessa wasn't paying much attention when they ran it by her but she had faith that whatever the hell it was they were doing it probably stood a good chance of turning up answers.

Tony was in his lab working on an emergency relay between Helius devices capable of pulling something (like an unresponsive corpse) into the Valley when activated by someone _already_ inside. The idea was that the Shadow would be able to summon her body in spire of the paralytic frequency. Banner and a handful of the older scientists on their teams were assisting. Inessa had untraceable access to JARVIS' root systems set up by Amadeus in her apartment- she gave them the _real_ frequency for their tests, but as soon as they were over she would be altering it again.

Officially the Prank War didn't start until after the Leader's Meeting, but Clint and Wanda were off setting up early. Inessa took a brief look through Nadya's eyes. Whatever Wanda had her posed to do in the air vents of the guest dorms, Inessa was just glad it wouldn't come back to her.

Nadya's tail twitched in response to a Helius device activating. Clint was sneaking into the permanent camp they kept in the Valley. Inessa made a mental note to send others in ahead of her to trip the trap.

The rest of the Avengers were likewise either focused on the mystery of the blood magic or preparing for war in the Tower.

"JARVIS," she asked softly, "can you give me the report on Indonesia yet? I'd like to see how it closed out."

"Still unavailable, I'm afraid," the computer chimed too loudly. Inessa quickly scanned the faces closest to her. Some people glanced over anxiously, some tried very hard to keep their faces neutral- too hard.

"Are any of you going to tell me about Indonesia or do I go take a look for myself?" They pretended not to hear her, "Fine, I'll be back in a bit-" Inessa felt Nadya tear away as JARVIS brought the frequency through Tower speakers, "You had better have a damned good reason for doing that," being trapped, powerless, it brought on the darkest of Inessa's moods instantly. She put a hand on one of her scythes.

Marie shivered at the danger in her voice. She could imagine Inessa jumping up and skewering someone suddenly. Sam, Thor, and Steve looked up anxiously, "Inessa-"

"Drop it or we'll have a _big_ problem, and soon."

"JARVIS is just protecting you," Steve stood up from his table and approached her slowly. Inessa's eye twitched and he stopped, "Just let it go for one more day, ok?"

"Or what?" Inessa pushed the coffee table she was using as a desk away and stood up, "You tackle me before I reach the window?"

"You wouldn't jump in the middle of the day," he seemed unsure. Marie swallowed hard, she didn't understand Inessa's rage or why jumping might help her.

"A long time ago you promised you'd never use that on me again. Tell me why I can't know about Indonesia or things get ugly."

"Avengers out! Now!" Natasha demanded as soon as she was in the room. There were no questions- everyone got up and ran out.

"Just tell her!" Wanda came in behind the spy and snapped. She closed the door behind Marie- the last one out- and locked it.

Steve lowered his hands and sat on the edge of a chair slowly. Inessa took her hand off the scythe but did not stand down, "You can't go to Indonesia. It's a hot zone."

"What? Why?"

Steve looked down, "We missed the wind-up Inessa," Sam whispered for him. "Keponakan was working outside the Laskar Bali. We didn't know until it was too late."

Inessa shook her head, breathless, "The target?"

"Gorontalo province. A nuclear power plant."

"No," she whimpered. A target like that- if they didn't stop it- "How many dead?" she couldn't look at any of them when they answered. She stared at a spot on the far wall and waited.

"Three thousand two hundred and twelve souls were sent to the doors of the underworld," Thor kept his tone as gentle as possible.

A single sob escaped Inessa before she covered her mouth. The only times the Avengers had lost more were in the First Battle of New York and the Infinity War. If you combined the dead from every mission and battle excluding those two it didn't even come close. So many people. So many lives cut short...

Wanda came forward and put a hand on Inessa's arm, "They moved quickly, faster than anyone could have predicted. Only a week after you left it happened. We responded as quickly as we could, we contained the radiation, saved many lives."

"Not enough," Inessa whispered, "There shouldn't have been anyone to save. There shouldn't have been an attack in the first place!"

"Agreed," Steve spoke up at her outburst, "but there _was_. We missed it-"

" _I_ missed it," she corrected, " _I_ told Amadeus to ignore Indonesia."

"Despite what you may believe, you are not the sole member of the Avengers who protects this world. We all missed the warnings. There was nothing you could do, if there were we would have recalled you from the Realms immediately."

"It wouldn't have been a bad idea."

Sam nudged Steve and he nodded, "JARVIS, cancel the signal, thank you." Inessa didn't open any paths to Indonesia, but she wasn't willing to stick around and get the Cheer-Up speech either. She retreated and, before anyone could stop her, vanished into shadow. Inessa let the darkness swirl around her as she hung on between the worlds- not quite on Earth and not quite in the Valley. She didn't know where to go, what would help her figure out how she failed so completely. More than 3200 dead. How many families were destroyed? How many orphans made, how many parents lost their children or how many husbands and wives lost one another? How many friends died?

 _They moved quickly, faster than anyone could have predicted. Only a week after you left-_ only a week. She missed it by a week. They should have been a month off. Inessa emerged in her bedroom, "Security protocol three-Alpha," she said softly. The room locked down, "Utility three-Alpha," a ceiling tile lowered over the bed. The laptop Amadeus had set up for her and connected to JARVIS' mainframe. Inessa climbed onto her bed and turned it on.

"Activate vocal interface," the root systems were so complex that it could take hours to search out a piece of information remotely. The voice interface made it respond as if she were speaking to JARVIS, "Keponakan records," she didn't even know what she was looking for, at least not consciously. The preliminary Indonesia file- the one she'd made- came up, "Search all known members phone records before the explosion, back-trace to initial contact," she wanted to know _when_ she started missing information. When exactly had this begun- when was the first call made to set the wheels in motion?

It took a long time to trace each number and determine the origination of the plot. Inessa waited, sealed in silence. Wanda would be outside in her living room when she emerged, her best friend always knew where to find her. Inessa wasn't just upset anymore though, she was _pissed_. An alarm on the computer chimed to indicate the search was complete. She hit the keyboard and saw the phone number- the initialization of the Laskar Bali plot, a call that would cost 3200 people their lives.

That was the main number for Avengers Tower.

The time stamp on the call was just as impossible- 7:05am local time. The _day_ Inessa left for the Realms. A call from Avengers Tower to the leader of Keponakan.

"CLEAR ALPHA PROTOCOLS!" Inessa needed JARVIS. Her heart pounded in her chest, she was terrified. The computer shut down and vanished back into the ceiling next to her notebook, the vibranium was shocked back to a semi-liquid form and was sucked back up into the ceiling, "JARVIS! Who used a phone in the Tower at 7:05am on June 20?"

"Data corrupted."

"CLEAN IT UP THEN!"

"Data not available."

Someone in the Tower called Keponakan, told their leader that the Avengers weren't watching, that the Shadow was gone. Inessa hesitated, went over the implications over and over again. She _had_ to be sure...

"JARVIS, give me Amadeus, Noelle, and Marie," she waited for the soft _click_ to indicate their comms were activated. "Shadow Unit assemble on my floor, but keep it quiet..."

"There's a traitor in the Tower."


	14. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: A.E. - Prisoners**

"So, your big plan was to make Loki- the homicidal trickster- pinky-promise to _not_ screw us over and hope for the best?"

"Shut up."

"No no," Bucky kept his tone light as they sat on opposite ends of a massive white cell, "if I'm following you across the known universe from one half-assed interrogation to another then I think I get a few more questions. I'm not a killer anymore, but the Winter Soldier was a damned good tactician- and he didn't have much trouble getting information."

Inessa rolled her head back to look at the cells unfinished ceiling high above, "Oh for the love of god! You've asked about the civil war, the infinity war, and a dozen other ops! You've never _once_ asked about my strategies!"

"In a rush? Got somewhere better to be?" He was teasing her, trying to snap her out of her bad mood. His plan wasn't exactly working- Inessa was angrier than ever.

She growled and glared at the seamless slab of wall that once held the cell door, "Fine, if it makes you shut up faster, ask away."

He decided to throw her a bone, "What's your plan with the Collector, assuming we figure out how to get to him?"

"I've never dealt with him directly, but I know some people- more or less- who have. If I can offer him something of equal or greater value than the information he will be happy to share."

"What do you intend to give to him?"

"His life."

"Well now you're just being dramatic." Inessa pulled off her shoe and threw it at Bucky's head half-heartedly. He smiled, it was working, "I'll work on a Plan B between now and then, we can compare notes before we meet him. Now, you _did_ tell me about the wars and about how everyone was doing before they disappeared, but you left yourself out of that story. How have you been, Nessa?"

" _I_ nessa."

"Inessa. How long after I left did you become an Avenger?"

"Three weeks. Tony arranged for me to take the GED after this thing with a demented AI. That was Steve's condition to me becoming an Avenger. My first job was to help contain Steve when he went off the deep end. Make sure he didn't hurt anyone."

"So you were on Tony's side in the civil war?" She hadn't made that clear.

"I was Switzerland. I didn't care who claimed oversight of the Avengers- we were going to keep doing whatever we wanted anyways, what does it matter who pays us? I kept Steve and Tony from killing each other and, when we realized it wasn't just something Steve would come back from, I put the plan in motion to have Crossbones kill him. Nice little puppetry, if I do say so myself." She'd already told Bucky about how they vanished Steve- they made Crossbones think he had an opening to take down Captain America, then waited. As soon as the bullets pierced his skin Inessa pulled them into the Valley. Steve was severely injured, but he survived. Once he was free to make his own decisions he did pretty much what Bucky had done- wandered around helping people anonymously. Thanos forced his hand in returning to the Avengers, but he'd returned a changed man.

"Did you go to college?"

Inessa nodded, "Oxford, yeah. Nadya Ryker was wiped out of the databases, but JARVIS made Inessa a real person."

"What did you study?"

"This is hardly relevant to getting out of here and over to the Collector."

"I thought you agreed to humor me?"

Inessa considered throwing her other boot, but it was a cold cell and who knew how long they'd be there... Plus she wasn't about to ask Bucky to give her back the other boot, "Anthropology and classical archaeology majors, Nordic language and cultures minor."

Bucky smiled, "Thor help you with that one?"

"Yeah." Inessa looked away and shook her head slightly. It didn't take a mind reader to see that she was upset at the mention of Thor. He'd noticed it already- she could talk about the Avengers in broad strokes, but not individually. She'd skirt those questions or simply ignore them.

"There's something you haven't told me yet." He hesitated a moment, "I haven't seen the Valley since you got to me. That camp Wanda, Vision, and Muhammad were in? It didn't look like it was made for that kind of climate. You established a permanent base in the Valley, didn't you? So why aren't you using it? Why run _through_ the Valley and not hide _in_ it?"

She stared at her hands for too long. Bucky sighed and got up from her perch. He came over to her and handed Inessa the shoe she'd thrown. She took it without a word and pulled it on. As she tucked the leg of her combat pants in and re-buckled it he spoke softly to her, "Dragging me across the nine realms with no idea what's going on is only going to hamper you. We're partners in this, right? So we need to act like it. What you can and cannot do- the weapons in our arsenal, I need to know that."

"We found two more bases working on the Helius device." Inessa turned away from Bucky to face the wall, "I brought home ten and destroyed the rest. Tony worked with me to amp them up and turn the Valley into an escape route. I can't risk someone setting a trap there."

"You're lying," Inessa nodded, "but you're saying the Valley is a non-option, even if you could get your abilities to work here?" she nodded, "Good enough. For now. Inessa, before all this is over you're going to tell me absolutely everything." He stood and returned to his corner of the room.

"Wow, it's colder than Jotunheim in here," Inessa jumped at the voice from the other side of the wall. The cell door reappeared suddenly- though bars remained that were too close together for either of the prisoners to escape.

"Fandrel! Hogun!" Inessa ran to the bars to see the two men, a wide grin on her face. Bucky rushed over and yanked her back before she was in reach. He glared at the two and tried to pull her behind him but she planted her feet immediately, "What the hell are you-"

Fandrel waved her off, "He's worried we're armed, which we are- quite heavily- but you may relax, James Barnes! We are friends! These blades are meant for neither of you, on my honor as a Warrior."

"I didn't kill him-" Inessa said immediately, yanking away from Bucky and walking towards the door, "I never hurt any of them-"

"Heimdall told us," Hogun nodded, "we trust his assessment." Her mouth opened in surprise and wonder. She looked to Fandrel who nodded his agreement. Bucky had a bad feeling, but he let Inessa reach through the bars to clasp hands with the two.

"Fandrel-" Inessa wanted to tell him about Loki, but she couldn't force any of the words from her throat. She opened and closed her mouth, unable to so much as mouth them. She needed to pick her words carefully to get around Loki's magic, "Odin's-" _Odin's not Odin_ , nope, that was blocked, "Odin's... silver... tongue-" Her expression immediately brightened. Loki missed something, "Odin's silver tongue was sharp today," Thor had told her of the Warrior Three taunting Loki many times- it often included some comment about his famous grasp of word-play. Unfortunately she'd still walked into his trap face first...

Hogun reached back through the bars and grasped her hand again, "Loki is Odin. We know this already."

"Then why is he still on the throne?" Bucky demanded.

Fandrel pulled a tool out of his belt and began to fuss with the side of the door, "The Allfather may yet live. If we confront Loki blindly that could easily change. We've been trying to find him for three years, I believe we are close. Until we have either his remains or him it is best to leave Loki to his scheming."

"Your quest is not so different from ours," Hogun glanced back towards the massive staircase leading up and out of the underground prison, "and we have very little time remaining to free you. The sentinels were summoned to the Bifrost but they will return."

"Summoned why?" Inessa was concerned, finally.

"Loki has sent for witnesses to your execution- the Counsel of Yggdrasil are arriving, then Heimdall has been informed a force of Avengers will be coming through."

Inessa's face was unreadable, but her hands were shaking again. No doubt who'd be leading _that_ troop. So, he'd decided to follow them across the universe after all.

The bars abruptly vanished and Fandrel grinned. He shoved the Asgardian lock-pick (or whatever the hell it was) back into his pocket and grabbed Inessa's forearm lightly, "With haste now!" they ran together up the stairs. Bucky glared at Hogun and ran after them, careful to keep the other man in his periphery. He felt a tingle on the back of his neck- something was _very_ wrong with all of this...

"Fandrel, we need to get to Svartalfheim, do you remember where Loki's door is hidden?"

"The rift of the Eastern mountain," he panted, "we have a flying vessel. We will take you there, but what is in Svartalfheim?"

"Inessa don't-"

"Allies who can take us wherever we need to go." Great, now a potential enemy knew they had friends. It wasn't right- Fandrel and Hogun showing up while _all_ the sentinels were gone was too convenient. If they knew Loki was Odin, why not involve the Avengers? If anyone could find a missing ruler it was Natasha or Inessa, and who knew how many others that they'd added since he left? It didn't make sense, tactically speaking, and if anyone knew tactics it would be the Warriors Three... It felt like a trap.

Bucky didn't take his hands off the hilts of his blades the entire run to the surface, no matter how winded he was or how much his sides ached. He had to be ready to save Inessa when this blew up in their faces- just like it had with Loki.

At last they reached the hidden entrance to the secret prison. Bucky squinted in the setting sun and tried not to get too distracted by the majesty of Asgard- the way the golden palace lit up as it were a massive pyre, the ruby glow on the trees and porticoes- it looked more like a painting of Mount Olympus than any real-life city. Of course, with the reps these guys had to playing gods it could very well be what Mount Olympus was based off of...

Hogun was slightly ahead of Bucky, which was fine by him, but then the man unexpectedly wheeled around and planted a swift kick straight into the Nomad's sternum- simultaneously winding him and launching him backwards down a sizable chunk of the staircase. Inessa spun and her eyes widened. She tried to pull away from Fandrel and run down after Bucky, but he held her in place. It was like watching a nightmare in slow motion. He landed, got his feet under him, and ran as fast as he could up the stairs, drawing his blades as he did so. Fandrel's smile vanished and was replaced with an enraged glare, "For Thor Odinson, you evil wench!" It looked like he'd punched her in the back, but Bucky saw the glint of a blades edge. This one was unusual though- something wasn't right. Inessa gasped at the sudden pain, then screamed out as he jerked his hand upwards and let go of her.

There was only a hilt in his hand- a glass one, "Inessa!" Bucky charged Hogun first. He dove from several stairs down and grabbed the man's ankle, then severed his Achille's tendon. It was an unusual move, the warrior wasn't prepared. He slammed his knee into Bucky's eye as he went down, but Bucky just shoved him down the stairs- his turn to take a slip, and without the use of one leg, he wouldn't be coming back up so quickly.

Fandrel threw three blades at Bucky- two went into his right shoulder but he managed to catch the third with his metal arm. He charged the blonde man and tackled him to the ground. They wrestled on the top step for a time- neither really getting the upper hand, before Bucky finally got a lucky shot through his defenses and slammed a metal fist repeatedly into the side of his head. Fandrel wouldn't die, unfortunately, but he'd be likewise out of commission. Bucky wanted to kill him, but he couldn't bring himself to...

"Bucky," Inessa gasped from the edge of a step she had slid down to. Blood was pooling around her at an alarming rate.

"Come on!" he yanked the blades out of his shoulder and sheathed them in his belt. She screamed when he lifted her, but he ignored it and ran back up and out of the tunnel- Hogun didn't seem the type to stay down for long. He could see the boat plainly pulled up against the shore- as well as the Bifrost in the distance. There were no sentinels there, they'd be reappearing any second. Heart racing, he set Inessa down carefully but quickly and shoved the boat into the water. As soon as he jumped into it he began figuring out the controls. Or at least trying to.

There was only a rudder at the back with a golden button on it. The rudder went not only side to side, but up and down. He had an idea, "Hold on for me Inessa, please!" she was pale, in pain, but still she managed to wrap a rope around her wrist. Bucky could see the blade of the glass dagger sticking out her back. In that position, it probably went through a kidney and who knows what else? It could easily be a fatal wound...

He shook the thought from his mind and knelt in the boat. Bucky pulled the rudder up and hit the button. There was a split second where nothing happened, then the boat launched into the air. He headed away from the Bifrost, but truthfully Bucky had no idea where they were going. He looked around towards the setting sun, then faced away from it and scanned for a mountain.

"Bucky," she moaned at the pain that was radiating from the wound, "in Asgard... the sun rises in the west!"

"Thank you!" He spun the boat sharply, nearly tipping the both of them out. There were mostly small hills this way, but- _fuck_. One hill had a dozen sentinels around it.

And Sam.

He was hovering in front of the cave with a gun in each hand and a smile on his face. There were four flying boats of Avengers as well. Bucky glanced at Inessa, here eyes were closing, they didn't have time for a fight and with her condition (not to mention his- his arm was starting to feel cold) that wouldn't be a long battle. How had Sam gotten there so fast? He must have known... Heimdall! He'd sold them out! _Or his king just asked_ , Bucky snarled, he seemed like the _honorable_ sort. Even if that honor meant betraying a friend.

"I'm making a run for it!" Bucky shouted to her- not that Inessa heard him. Her eyes closed and her body went into shock. Fandrel must have nicked something important, "Stay with me!"

An intense heat surrounded him suddenly, and it only kept growing. He pushed the boat at full speed towards the narrow opening as another pressure fell on his mind. The heat was starting to blister his skin, but if he stopped to fight they were both dead. He had to head straight for the crucible to have any hope at surviving. Something buffeted the boat and Bucky struggled to keep it level. He screamed against the growing heat.

As soon as it became apparent they were not going to stop, Sam opened fire on the boat- as did the sentinels. They blasted it with everything they had- and even throughout that Marie kept increasing the heat. She couldn't see Bucky or Inessa anymore, but she could sense them, trapped inside the paralyzing heat she was throwing out. Amadeus sat next to her in the boat, terrified. He'd spoken loudly against Sam's plan to head them off if they escaped the prison- until Sam ordered him gagged. He still thought she deserved a trial.

Bucky thought he was hallucinating as the heat hit 200 degrees, but the fact that they weren't dead from the bullets or the fiery blasts of the sentinels painted a strange picture- this ship had _shields_? There was an invisible wall around the ship that seemed to grow stronger the more it was attacked. Just before they hit the rock the shield exploded outwards- knocking the Avengers out of the air to fall into the ocean below and throwing the sentinels far enough off course to clear the cave.

They hit the edges of the walls at breakneck speed and the intense heat vanished (Marie, unfortunately, belly-flopped into the Asgardian sea and was immediately knocked out). Sparks flashed from the edges of the boat and it jerked wildly as it settled into deep tracks scratched into the mountain. There was a twisting sensation, a blast of icy wind, and they flew out the other side into a dead, barren landscape- fairly similar to the Valley save the mountains of jagged rock that looked more like crashed spaceships- if that was even possible. The sky was a black-green and Bucky marveled at the strangeness- until he was shot in the back. He spun around and saw Sam fly out of the cave behind them. So, he ditched his own team.

Bucky gunned the engine as best he could and tried to change course. He panted as his lung filled with blood. There was a loud crash and Bucky turned, ignoring the pain. Sam was hanging mid-air, half bent with a surprised look on his face. The air rippled around him and a large, blue spaceship appeared out of nowhere. It was headed away from them at high speeds to keep Sam pinned. Bucky only hoped these were the allies Inessa had promised. He turned their ship towards the other and matched speed.

The back of the ship abruptly opened to reveal a small hanger. A green woman stood there with a large... tree? She waved them over and held on tight to the edge of the ship as the wind buffeted her around. Bucky pulled up as close as he could and the tree- seriously? A tree?- reached out for them. It's arm (Bucky was pretty sure he was hallucinating) extended to their craft and wrapped around Inessa. It lifted her carefully and pulled her into the ship. The green woman ducked in and grabbed a long chain. She wrapped it around one of the metal fixtures in the hold and tossed the other end with surprising accuracy to Bucky. He jumped up, let go of the rudder, and caught the chain. Instantly the ship froze in place and Bucky was yanked now by the ship. The green woman was joined by a large purple man and together they quickly pulled Bucky into the ship.

"HOLD ON!" she screamed over the howling wind and hit a button to close the hatch. As soon as it was secured the ship changed direction, threw Sam off, and shot upwards into space, "Get them to the medical room, the equipment is already set up for her," she was slightly more relaxed once the turbulence was over with and they presumably entered space. Bucky's eyes were wide open and wild. He didn't know where they were, what this thing was, who these people were-

"Inessa-" the tree-thing was carrying her away, Bucky tried to untangle himself from the chain wrapped around his metal arm.

"She's gonna be fine," Bucky's eyes grew even wider as a freaking _raccoon_ came out of a side hall. He was crazy. Had to be. Bye-bye sanity. Here's a tree man and a talking raccoon, "Fandrel and Hogun are pros when it comes to planning an escape."

"You're working with them?!" Bucky asked wildly. He fought against the purple man who was pulling him to his feet.

"Yeah, and they're working with _her_ , so take it easy," a human (finally) came out of the same hall that had produced the raccoon. He held out a hand, unafraid of the panicked and injured assassin, "Peter Quill. You can call me Star Lord."

* * *

"They get in less trouble for trying to kill you than they would simply helping you escape," Peter explained for what felt like the hundredth time. Bucky was sitting next to Inessa as a machine healed the wounds on his back and shoulder. Inessa's were already closed and the black glass dagger sat next to her on a tray. "Fandrel and Hogun got in touch with us when Heimdall had us move to Svartalfheim. He had a feeling you two would need a bit of help getting off Asgard. I don't know what the glass blade is all about, but I can guess why he threw those knives at you."

"Knives? More like short swords," Bucky wasn't getting bad vibes from this lot- criminal vibes yes, but honest criminals. It was weird, knowing the tree-guy (Groot) and the raccoon (Rocket) weren't hallucinations. The green girl and purple dude were comparatively normal, but Bucky recognized the look of an assassin in her and a brawler in him. This "Star Lord" seemed more like a space-version of Tony- all snark.

"Well, they're worth a bit on the black market, if you want to sell them, but they're stronger than anything else out there- Fandrel threw them at you because he wanted to make sure you were adequately armed."

Bucky wanted Inessa to wake up. If these were her friends she'd know better than he would if they were telling the truth. He was still trying to ignore the bright red skin that burned and itched even after Peter gave him cream to take the sting out of the injury. "They're right," Inessa's eyes were closed still, but she managed to get the words out. Peter and Rocket helped her sit up. The raccoon seemed to be worried about her. Maybe they were friends? "I didn't think Fandrel and Hogun would take the realism so far though..."

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Inessa turned slightly to look at the glass blade on the tray. She picked it up and held it to the light.

"You doing the honors?" the green girl- Gamora- held out a small knife. Inessa took it and smashed the blade against the table. The end of it broke off, and Inessa used the knife to smash at the edges until she reached the edge of a cavity in the blade. A few more hits with the knife's hilt and a piece of paper was visible.

"What's that?" Inessa unfolded the note and stared at it a long time. She flipped it over and read through it- but Bucky couldn't make heads or tails of the floating, warping text- was that Asgardian? "Is it a clue or something?"

"Yeah," Inessa's hands dropped with the letter in them, "It's the name of the traitor in the Avengers."


	15. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: 91 Days Before the Explosion**

"What exactly do you mean by 'traitor'?" Amadeus and the others were in Inessa's living room in record time.

"Just after I left for the Realms a call was placed from somewhere in the Tower to a member of Keponakan. After that call they mobilized in _record_ time. Someone set us up to fail in Indonesia."

"What benefit would they get from that?" Noelle was confused, "Surely chaos cannot be all they were after?"

"Were any Avengers missing from the fallout? Did _anyone_ stay behind- not just Tower-based Avengers?" She hated suspecting one of their own, but many Avengers- like Wanda- came from less than reputable background and _unlike_ Wanda might not have joined for all the right reasons.

Amadeus thought back and shook his head, "Everyone was there. You don't think Eoin-?"

"Eoin isn't allowed in the Tower," Noelle shook her head, "if he were here for any reason we would have been notified."

"You said JARVIS had the info on the phones, it was just corrupted?" Inessa nodded, "Let me at 'em then." She pointed him to her personal laptop sitting on her desk- the other one would give him faster access to JARVIS' root systems, but its existence was known to only the two of them, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Will you tell Steve?" Noelle was good at keeping secrets- if there was a reason for it. She'd been put in the Shadow Unit after half the members were wiped out in Thanos' attack, and though she was loyal to her new leader she still reported back to her original team- to Steve. Technically it was Amadeus' job to keep him informed, but his loyalty to Inessa on more questionable ops tended to bias the reports.

Inessa considered it, "I have to, Thor as well. Unless someone teleported in just to use our phone we have to assume it was a member of one of their teams. Whoever tipped off Keponakan could be one of our friends- one of your floormates... This isn't going to be an easy case- on a personal level I mean."

Amadeus frowned at the monitor and began typing faster, "Nessie, which Keponakan got the call?"

"Meiliana Jauhari," Inessa made a point of memorizing the name, "She's a relatively obscure member, but she initiated the phone tree."

"Um, Nessie?" he was pointing to a record on the screen. Inessa came over to inspect it- the call log from Avengers Tower was gone.

"Do you have the right date? The right Meiliana Jauhari?" she skimmed over all the identifying information- the start of the frantic calls between members was still there, but the first record was flat out _gone_.

"I can't find any missing or corrupted footage either," he said softly, "the timelines in JARVIS' records are pristine. Even if _I_ deleted something it wouldn't be this smooth."

"I didn't imagine it," Inessa was immediately on the defensive. She knew what they were thinking.

"This may have to do with the blood magic-" Noelle cut herself off, but Inessa nodded.

"Go find a psychic. If someone's messing around up there, I need to know. Take Marie- she needs to match faces and abilities." Marie knew everyone already, she'd had plenty of time to get to know the entire team, but obediently she followed Noelle out of the apartment. Amadeus and Inessa went to her room, "JARVIS, security protocol 3-alpha," the room locked down, "utility 3-alpha." The second computer dropped.

Amadeus immediately sat down on the bed and began to type furiously, flying from screen to screen. At last he let out the breath he was holding, "Got it!"

"Why couldn't you find it on the other connection?"

"It isn't there anymore," he explained, "the record is totally gone. I can't fix it from here, but I set up your computer so it takes a screenshot of everything you look at- whoever erased JARVIS didn't know about th-" the screen went black abruptly, "What? NO!" he cursed and began typing again, faster than ever. The entire screen turned blue, then went dead. Smoke wafted from the casing as he continued his tirade.

"It's gone?" Dread coiled in Inessa's stomach.

"Completely," he hung his head in misery, "and I couldn't even trace the hack..."

"Well, as awesome as hard evidence would be, at least you saw it so we know I'm not crazy, right?"

"No Avenger has that kind of computer skill- or at least no one we can't trust."

"Only Vision and Tony?" he nodded, "So one of the others is hiding major skills."

"I'll dig into everyone's histories while we run simulations on the blood magic as some kind of mathematical or geographic puzzle," he promised, "and I've got a few tricks I can try here- trace the hack or find even a sliver of the original files on JARVIS' mainframe. If I can at least prove it's missing that's enough to mobilize a full on man hunt."

Inessa nodded, "I'll work on confirming everyone's locations during the fallout in Indonesia, if anyone is missing for even a second I'll put them on what hopefully is a short list."

"We should still take this to the other leaders."

"Without proof?"

"I'll side with you-"

"How?" Inessa was cornered, "Amadeus, they can't know that laptop even _exists_. If they knew I've had unsupervised access to the mainframe all these years what do you think would happen?"

"A light verbal warning?"

She shook her head, "Hardly. What could I possibly need untraceable access to JARVIS for?"

He got it then, "The frequency. They'd figure out you've been tampering with it."

"And if I replace the laptop or not, they'd always assume I did. Tony would be backing that frequency up and stashing it away. The _last_ think I need is for that to get out. If there's a traitor here this is all going to get worse, fast. Faster than I can figure out the blood magic. If things get hairy and they can't trust me, they'll lock me down. I need the ability to switch the frequencies in case of emergency. There is no way to explain away the records on my personal computer because there's no record of it accessing JARVIS' mainframe."

"So what do we do?" he knew the answer of course - 7th smartest guy in the world and all- but he didn't like feeling so useless.

"Side with me as long as you can on this, until we have an idea of who this traitor is and why they're working against our unit."

Amadeus considered it, "On one condition."

"Name it."

"You talk to Eoin. Tonight."

"Amadeus no."

"He knows everything that's going on in this city! He has people _everywhere_!"

"He's as likely to kill me as help me," Inessa pointed out. Amadeus was well versed in the Anti-Eoin campaign- he was a big part of it- but he held firm.

"Eoin's a shitty human, yeah, but his intelligence ring rivals Natasha and Clint's. Especially when it comes to anything happening in New York city. And he's _obsessed_ with the Avengers. He probably knows our movements as well as you do."

"Hence why he's not allowed in the Tower," she reminded him.

Amadeus crossed his arms, "You want my support on this, you have a sit down with him," he half-turned as the front door opened and Noelle and Marie returned with Janis, Natasha's psychic, "your choice."

Inessa growled at the chime over the intercoms alerting her to a presence in the apartment outside, "Cancel Alpha protocols," the shielding around the doors and windows drained away as the laptop was raised back into the ceiling. Amadeus would come back to collect it later. Inessa opened the door, "Fucking hell... Deal."

"Thank you."

* * *

 **90 Days Until the Explosion**

It was nearly two in the morning before Inessa managed to slip away into the shadows. Her mind was racing too far and too fast with the probability of a traitor that she couldn't focus on translating the Asgardian books. Who could it be? Why help a gang like Keponakan? It wasn't that they were insignificant- killing over 3,000 people proved that- but up until the tragedy they were minor compared to the other enemies they dealt with. So why? Was it to set the Shadow Unit up? If so, this was only the beginning. Who wanted her gone so badly? Eoin was the easy answer but he had nothing even resembling the kind of access to JARVIS' systems it would require- even when he _was_ one of them.

Eoin O'Meara... The name left a bad taste in Inessa's mouth. It was almost worth it to lock him up, at least until someone forced her to admit he couldn't be the traitor. Sure, he'd sell them out for no reason other than to say he did it, but such an action would only make things worse in their relations with him and his gang, and Steve made her promise to play nice...

"Come out, freak, before I send someone to drag you out," his cold voice made the side of her nose curl up in an involuntary snarl. She followed it's echo across the city towards his underground _lair_.

"Don't make useless threats." She stepped out into the old subway station he insisted on calling a base. It was an improvement from the sewer outpost- she was almost grateful he was camped here tonight.

Eoin sat on an old, rotted subway bench that would probably give Steve nostalgia pangs. He had all the airs of a king upon his throne. His _creatures_ were grouped around him on the small, slimy platform. Runaways, thieves, gangsters- Eoin had a way of drawing in the darker elements of New York and convincing them to come to his side. They were all thin, all covered in molding clothes and the entire area reeked to high heaven of sweat, booze, and human refuse. Maybe the sewer would have been an improvement. A fire in the middle of the platform cast a thin warmth over the entire affair.

"You should remember, I never make a useless threat."

"And as _you_ may remember, I don't have time for your bullshit."

"Down to business then?" Eoin reclined on his bench smugly. Inessa had her wolves at the ready, just in case, "Tell me, what brings the Shadow Queen down from her castle?"

"Don't call me that," Eoin's nickname was older than her enemy in the Realms. She used to like it- until there was a Shadow King and until Eoin of all people started using it.

"State your business, then leave." He snarled suddenly. A few of his gang members flinched away from his rage.

Inessa had to be careful just how much she told this guy, "I have reason to believe there is a security breach in the Tower," she would never say 'traitor' around this one.

"So? You came seeking the help of the _other_ Shadow Ops leader?"

Her temper flared, "You were offered that position a long time ago. Even if you came to the Tower on your hands and knees _begging_ for so much as a crust of bread we would never give it to you- let alone allow you onto a Team. Not after you sold us out to Thanos."

"I was just trying to protect my _girlfriend_!" he snapped. No matter how cool Eoin like to pretend to be his ex was always a sore spot.

"And instead you got her _entire_ strike force killed. The only reason you're alive is because Steve felt sorry for you. You took two people from my team and got them killed, not to mention the other _seven_ Avengers- your friends!" She held up a hand as he made to reply, "We've been playing this blame game for three years. It's not the topic on hand right now." If they had time they could fight for _hours_. Amadeus timed it once- it was called at 5 hours because at that point both of them were hoarse.

Eoin sneered, "Right. You were asking for my help because _you_ can't handle- what was it again? A 'security breach'? Is that another way of saying you think there's a traitor in the Tower? Oh dear..."

The traitorous bastard was smart- precisely why Steve had offered him the leadership of a _second_ Shadow Ops unit. He'd taken Steve's trust and turned around to warn Thanos- all for an empty promise of mercy. There was no way they were walking out of the Infinity War without severe losses, but the number didn't have to be so high after just one mission.

"Just tell me if you've heard any whispers about the Indonesia job or a potential target on one of us."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you _owe_ me. Not just for the people I lost because of you. If it weren't for me-"

"-I'd still be rotting in some Hydra holding cell, yeah, I've heard this before, remember? How many times do you think you can use it to get your way? Don't forget, after pulling me out of that cell you threw me in a _cave_ for _weeks_."

"Neither of us were in our right minds back then," Inessa snapped, "and don't act like I didn't bring you food and water every chance I got. I even handed you over to SHIELD for treatment. Eventually, granted, but that doesn't change the fact that if it weren't for me you'd still be their little guinea pig." Inessa's laugh was sharp and mocking, "It's funny when you think about it- if only Hydra knew you'd roll over and do whatever they wanted if they'd just asked nicely the first time."

Eoin jumped up and pulled a small caliber gun from the back of his jeans. He aimed straight for Inessa's head, "Don't you _dare_."

"What? Betraying your friends to Thanos is fine but I shouldn't _dare_ to say 'Hydra Lackie' around you?" Inessa waved a hand before he could fire and the bullets vanished from the gun. They rolled out of a shadow to his left. "If you don't know anything, just say so. I'm getting trench foot just standing in this bog you pretend is a home."

"I wish I knew who was messing with you," Eoin spat at her feet, "I'd pay them a visit and offer to help if they just gave me your head on a spike."

"Really?" Inessa inspected the faces of those around her. Most were flinching away from Eoin's fury and trying not to draw the man's attention, "Isn't that usually _your_ preferred method? Handle the dirty work yourself? How many of these people have you brainwashed into believing you're the hero instead of the villain?"

"I've never hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it," he sneered.

"Oh, yeah, you're a real Daredevil. Oh wait," Inessa chuckled, "he's actually _allowed_ in Avengers Tower. He uses his abilities to _help_ people, not beat them half to death then heal their wounds so they've got nothing to show the police."

"You wanted information. I don't have any. Take your sanctimonious bullshit and _go_."

Inessa was beyond ready to be free of the whole filthy place. She'd need three showers to get the stench off of her- and even JARVIS' best work with the laundry wouldn't be enough to save her uniform. She opened the shadow behind her and paused, looking again at the faces around her, "Every one of you is welcome to apply to the Avengers," she ignored Eoin and addressed them alone. "If this _snake_ hadn't gotten you we would have made the offer. Just come to Avengers Tower and tell them you want to see the head of Tower Security. They'll take better care of you than _this_ one ever has. No more wannabe Avengers. You'd be legit, you'd be _fed_. And unlike _him_ , we don't turn on our own."

"Not yet," he sneered as Inessa vanished, "but I've got a feeling soon enough you will."

* * *

Just FYI- the Part 3 playlist has been updated! :)

And as a special thing for any of you who go to **ProjectEchoFanfic** dot **tumblr** dot **com** , I'm going to start posting little spoilers there. Nothing major, but things that will come up later. :)


	16. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: A.E. - Guardians of the Galaxy**

Inessa looked like she was either going to be sick or burst into tears. She traced a series of symbols on the note that Bucky assumed was the name of whoever this traitor was in the Avengers ranks. There was something else there too- the news didn't surprise her. Not as much as it should have. Something had been _confirmed_. Not revealed, "You already knew who it was."

She nodded and turned away while she took a deep breath. There was a small cough, "I won't tell you who it is," Inessa finally turned back to face the others.

Gamora crossed her arms and sized Inessa up, then nodded, "Good."

"How is that good?" Bucky snapped, "Inessa, if you know who attacked _go to Sam_. Tracking the Avengers down will be next to impossible solo, and you could use his reinforcements!"

"The traitor didn't stay on Earth," Inessa shot Bucky a return glare and crumpled the paper in her hands. "Sam won't believe one piece of paper over everything that's happened, _trust me_. He'll pull them closer the second I point a finger and put them in a position to do even more harm. Their part in this is done, all they can do now is shepherd me to whoever's pulling the strings and that's fine by me!"

"Oh, so _dying_ is fine by you?"

"Obviously," she snapped, "besides, when I called Unit 10 I _swore_ they wouldn't get in the middle of all this. Telling them who the traitor is puts them in a dangerous position and it isn't up to them to take sides!"

Bucky threw his hands in the air, "And now there's a 'Unit 10' I have to ask about, apparently! Christ, Inessa- are you physically incapable of telling me the whole story?!"

"It's really not that bad," Peter dried to diffuse the fight brewing, "we're 'Unit 10'. Space Avengers. Technically Guardians of the Galaxy but that's-"

"Shut up!" Inessa and Bucky snapped at once. Peter held his hands up and backed away. Gamora didn't take the attitude as lightly.

"You're both children!" she slammed a hand on a metal tray between the two of them before either could continue the argument, "Inessa, tell us our destination and then the two of you go to opposite ends of the ship!"

She snarled at Bucky a moment more. Inessa wadded the paper up in one hand and got to her feet with a groan of pain against the wound in her back, "We're going to see the Collector," she threw the paper so that it bounced off Bucky's head and stiffly walked out of the med bay and towards the front of the ship. Drax followed her silently.

Rocket cackled from his perch near Bucky's metal arm, "The best jobs all start the same, don't they?"

* * *

"That's Bucky Barnes, huh?" Peter sat in the Captain's chair on Inessa's left and began picking at the controls. Drax was snoozing in a chair in the back, in case Inessa needed anything. She was not to be moving around so much so soon after the med-scanner repaired her wounds. They were in high orbit around Svartalfheim for the moment, but as soon as the coordinates to the Collector's Vault were entered the stars began to shift and the ship took off. As Peter finished entering the coordinates and setting their course he hit the intercom button- broadcasting their voices throughout the ship, "I guess the rumors are true then?"

She watched the stars overhead, "I didn't-" Inessa hesitated and sighed. She shook her head and let a single tear fall, "I'm so sick of saying that," she whispered, "I didn't do it, it wasn't me, you're wrong, _they're_ wrong- it never ends. I've explained myself over and _over_ again..."

"All the rumors floating around say different things- that you slaughtered them in their beds, they lost control of the Shadow and it devoured them, sucked them into its world of endless night, it turned out to be Thanos' creature and all this was part of some great plan- the only thing all the stories agree on is that the Avengers aren't in their Tower anymore."

Peter looked over at Inessa. She wiped her eyes, "I- I can't... I really-"

He interrupted her, "I'm sure there's more to the story- if we heard the whole thing out _we'd_ probably want to kill you too, so I don't want any explanations. I don't want the story. The Avengers aren't where they should be, and you're out here with Captain America's best friend, fresh from exile. Maybe Sam is right to want you dead, maybe you're right that there was a traitor and somehow the Avengers are all alive somewhere. Maybe both, maybe neither. I've only worked with you once, during the Infinity War, so you get one chance with me. I trusted you on one job and you came through. You can trust me right up to the first time you try to kill me."

"I wouldn't do that."

"Then it sounds like you'll be able to trust me for a long time." The ship _hummed_ softly as it perfected its course to the Collector's vault and away from the Realms. Far off was a slightly red star- Niflheim would be orbiting that. "Nornheim," he said after a moment.

"What?" Inessa knew the realms by heart, even though she'd only been to a handful. Muspelheim, Alfheim, Vanaheim, Asgard, Midgard, Jotunheim, Niflheim, Svartalfheim, and Helheim. No Nornheim, "Do you mean the Norn?" Three sisters known as the Norn ran the Halls of Fate on Alfheim, but Inessa had only seen the palace from afar, and she'd never met any of them.

"The tenth realm in the chain? The one the Counsel had the Jotuns destroy? It was called Nornheim. You asked about it after the Infinity War, if we knew the name of the realm. I checked around. It was Nornheim- no relation to the Norn though, I looked into that. Way back before it was part of the Realms Nornheim was just a bunch of different territories. This King united everyone, the first Allfather of Nornheim- Ikkar. The people of Nornheim called themselves Icarii to reference all that."

Inessa held her breath as he spoke. Nornheim. Her Valley had a proper name then. Forseti- the few times she'd actually been able to speak with him- had been unwilling to speak about Cul Borson or the destroyed realm without good reason, and Inessa didn't want anyone to know that she might not even be human. She forgot that she'd asked Peter if he knew anything about a race called the Icarii. Possibly _her_ race, if Cul Borson was right about any of it. Even Thor hadn't been able to get that much information, "Thank you."

"I found the Nornheim bit, Berny filled in the rest through his contacts."

She smiled wryly and shook her head, "How is our favorite crime lord?"

"Still the best fence we know," Peter chuckled, "I think he's planning another visit to Earth, or at least he was when we spoke last. I haven't seen him since before the whispers started. It's still only among the lower levels of society- bounty hunters and us criminal types- the rest don't know Earth is unprotected."

"It isn't unprotected," Inessa sighed, "Wanda and Vision have it covered, along with any Gifted in Camp Hammond and any Avengers Sam left behind. Just a reminder," she looked over at him, "the people we fight _tend_ to be those criminal types."

"Well, then you want to get the others back ASAP- who knows how long they can hold out once the baddies get brave enough to make a move? That reminds me," Peter held up his left arm and waved it around a bit, "how much time you got?"

Inessa pulled a tiny flat receiver out of her pocket and looked at the reading on the screen, "Four days left. Another five after that before things get too bad. Nine before I'm more decoration than person."

"You don't have any extra to refill it?"

She glanced at the silver panel in her arm, "Nope. The Avengers locked it down, thought it might keep me in check if I had to rely on them for the meds. Most of it was destroyed when the Tower blew up."

"We'll stop by Berny's after the Collector, he's got a bunch of it. He sells it as a way to ward off the Shadow's gaze," Peter lowered his voice as if he were telling a scary story around a campfire. Inessa chuckled and shook her head.

"He isn't telling them it only works on people I've poisoned, huh?"

"Why? He's making a killing, no point in ruining that."

That definitely sounded like Berny. He'd turned out to be a pretty good guy- if you overlooked the crime boss element. True, he'd slashed his way onto SHIELD's radar and didn't have problems killing someone, but after he and Clint spent a couple years as pen-pals and then when he left to take his life of crime on a cross-galaxy road trip he'd mellowed out. Now he was happily off being an intergalactic tradesman for thieves looking to unload less than honorably obtained goods. For her last birthday he sent Inessa a fine bracelet she was fairly certain came from some planet's crown jewel collection.

"So," he decided to approach the subject delicately, "this traitor... Can you at least tell _me_ who it is?"

"No." she was on the defensive again.

"Hey, that's fine," he said quickly, "but- a clue at least? Teensy little hint?"

"I already know who it is. They know that I know. That's all _you_ need to know."

"One more question, then I'll stop bugging you." Peter held out his pinky and Inessa hooked it, "You went through all that trouble of finding Bucky before Heimdall came for you and dragged him across the universe, got him stabbed and shot, but you didn't tell him anything?"

"I told him the important bits. We're looking for the Avengers."

"You didn't tell him what happened, why the others don't trust you, and from the looks of it you didn't even mention that there was a traitor. What's the point in bringing him along if you're not going to trust him? You two make an _awful_ team. No offense."

"None taken." Inessa stretched halfway then received a sudden, wrenching reminder of why she was sitting still to begin with, "I can't do this alone."

Peter shook his head, "Try again."

"I don't want to do this alone."

"Liar."

"I'm worried he's a target too and-"

Peter cut her off, "If you don't want to answer then just say it, don't keep lying to me. I always know when people are lying."

"Oh for god's sake!" Inessa snapped, "Fine! He's here to take _them_ back! If I find the Avengers- I brought him along to make sure they get home. Is that what you wanted to hear? Am I lying this time?"

"There's nothing that says you can't go back to Earth."

"You pinky-swore if I answered you'd stop asking questions," she crossed her arms and tilted her head away from Peter.

"I'm a liar too. Is this like what was going on with Steve? Are you tired of being a hero and ready to go out in a blaze of glory?"

Inessa shook her head, "It isn't like that. I _love_ being a hero. My entire life all I ever wanted to do was help people. I had nightmares about Hydra- now I know I was just looking through the shadows but back then- back then all I'd see at night was the evil people with a mission could do. Now I get to stop it. Being an Avenger is everything to me. I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice to have more of a life outside the Tower. Even when I went to college in the UK I'd go back after classes. I'm happy _enough_ , Peter. Sometimes you just know when a suicide play will be needed. I don't think we're getting the Avengers back without one, and that's my job. I'm the Avenger- not Bucky Barnes."

She hesitated a moment, then continued, "And I chose him over Wanda or Vision because I know he wouldn't stop me. He's been out of the game for five years. He doesn't know how I operate, how I _think_ as well as those two. Plus he's a better fighter- Vision could run out of battery in the middle of an escape and be useless and Wanda's powers are incredible, but what I really need to pull this off is Natasha, and Bucky is the closest thing I've got to that right now. Besides, I know he'll stay loyal to me, at least for a while, and that's more than I can say for any other Avenger left in the Tower."

"How do you know he won't turn on you?"

"Guilt," she answered quickly, easily. "Bucky's never done anything to hurt me- even when he was fighting with the Winter Soldier for control he'd at least show me small kindnesses. But that doesn't mean he doesn't blame himself for-" she held up her arms to show off the scars that roped across them. "So I'm banking on guilt. It won't keep him loyal forever, but I'm hoping it'll keep him there long enough for us to get to the Avengers and prove they're alive. Or at least that they were taken. That's why I won't tell him anything. The longer he's in the dark, the longer he's loyal."

"Or the longer he's in the dark the faster he turns on you," Peter pointed out. "Look, I'm not going to tell you how to run your own op, but you need a partner. Not a donkey to take the luggage back."

"Where's that silence I was pinky-promised?" She was done talking.

"Right here." he sighed and looked back out the window of the ship as the flew towards the Collector. Inessa was going to die all right- but it would be because of her own stubbornness rather than at the hands of either her mystery enemy, Sam, or Bucky. His job in all of this was to ferry her to the Collector and then probably on to Berny, so Peter vowed to act like the cab driver he apparently had become.

They were quiet after that, but thoughts of the traitor swirled in Inessa's mind. Another tear fell down her cheek, quickly followed by more.

* * *

"There, now you have your answers," Gamora watched Bucky in the med bay. Rocket and Groot were both tense. Wanda was right. Inessa didn't plan on coming back from this- and she was using his guilt to manipulate him. He didn't know if he was angry at the trickery or relieved to hear her say she didn't blame him for any of it...

He heard a soft cry, a sob? Inessa was crying? "Peter," she could only manage a whisper. Gamora was standing near the panel that acted as an intercom, she turned up the volume, "the traitor... it was a member of my team..."

* * *

For story notes (and wee little hints after each chapter) visit **ProjectEchoFanfic** dot **tumblr** dot **com**.

\- Sorry for the late chapter. I was going to post this last week but I ended up having to go to Michigan to handle a family emergency. Thankfully everyone is OK now!


	17. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: 60 Days Before the Explosion**

"It's been a month Mallory," Inessa sighed and continued to peel a blade of grass into as many strips as possible. A strip broke in the middle and she threw the pieces across the yard. An August breeze stirred them as they fell and she watched, depressed, "I've tried everything. I can't figure out who the traitor is and even _I'm_ starting to wonder if I imagined the whole thing and Amadeus is just humoring me. You know how he can be- he'll play along if he thinks that's what you want him to do."

She shook her head and continued through, rambling, "None of the background checks turned up anything- no one noted as being particularly proficient in even typing classes. I don't know if I really expected anything though," she admitted, "we hardly shirk on the entry background check. It isn't like we'll find someone's secret Hydra affiliations now unless it's a new thing. No one has family with financial troubles, no one's siblings or nieces and nephews are unaccounted for- if any of our people are serving the enemy or being manipulated by them it's all off the books."

"What do I even _do_? Just let it go? As far as I know the traitor hasn't made another move since that phone call. Indonesia's stopped calling for the Shadow to be held responsible for failing to stop the catastrophe, we've taken down a child slavery ring and some drug lords, the same kinds of things we always do when we're lacking major cases. Was I too fast calling it a traitor?"

Inessa looked over to Mallory for an answer, then nodded to herself, "It's got to be all this crap about blood magic. It made me crazy after all- or paranoid. Nothing Forseti sent was any help- naturally. I know the history of the Jotun Wars and a dozen other stories, but nothing that tells me what the Shadow King did."

A new grievance popped up in her mind and Inessa huffed, "By the way, guess what Thor's doing today? Go ahead- guess. He's bringing a member of the Counsel of Yggdrasil in to " _Investigate my Condition_ ". Asshole. The Counsel member, not Thor," she amended quickly and picked another blade of grass. "They don't trust me anymore. Noelle spies for Steve and updates him on everything I do, Amadeus is keeping Natasha more informed of my decisions than I'm comfortable with, and Marie? I've got a feeling Sam has his talons in her. Every mission I plan is second guessed, every time I order a raid the others _discuss_ it. Now, I'm all for group dynamics, you know me, but they aren't studying the choices and making informed decisions, they're trying to see if I'm being steered by whatever happened on Niflheim. I'm sick of being treated like a nut-job…"

Inessa let the silence stretch on as her mind raced ahead of her mouth down every avenue and twist. She didn't have enough information to make any sort of decision or game plan, yet part of her couldn't stop trying. No matter how sick even thinking about Niflheim made her there was no way to stop. _You're being set up_ , her mind kept whispering it over and over again. Set up for what though? Why did 3,200 people have to die? If someone was setting her up, they were losing on the subtlety. Except- she and Amadeus were the only ones who knew it _was_ a set up, so maybe the failure wasn't as complete as it initially seemed. She was positive more would come, then she would look back on this day and think about how stupid she'd been to miss the clues right in front of her. Sebastian Morris, Thanos, Ultron, Crossbones. She was always defeated by them before she found the answer. Sure, they died in the end, but not easily (granted, Sebastian Morris had gone down without much effort, but his team had nearly destroyed everything).

She checked her watch and sighed, "I've got to go Mallory, I've got a Leader Meeting that started five minutes ago," Inessa sat up and cracked her neck. She turned to face the grave and dusted the face of it off. _Mallory Ivanou, November 13, 1994 – March 23, 2018. Beloved daughter, sister, Avenger._ "Oh," Inessa spoke as she cleaned the grave up a bit, "I saw your ex last month. He looks like shit. Do me a favor, ok? Keep haunting him. Nine years for nine lives lost- that was the deal. It's better for everyone if he stays in that sewer."

* * *

"Where is your pet, Prince Thor?" Ingvir glared at the assembled Avengers leaders and lieutenants in the meeting room.

Thor ground his teeth together and glanced around at the assembly, willing them to stay quiet and not rise to yet another insult from the Muspelheim representative, "The Lady Ryker will arrive momentarily. I apologize on her behalf for the delay. It is the nature of Avengers Black Ops- their schedules are unpredictable. I ask that you give her ten more minutes to appear, then we shall attempt to raise her on her comm unit."

" _Boy_ , stop that this instant!" The man snapped at Amadeus who was drumming his fingers on the meeting room table. The lieutenant glared and a second later Natasha, Clint, Tony, Wanda, and their lieutenants were drumming their fingers at an irregular pace. Steve suppressed a grin and winked at Sharon.

"It is a Midgardian custom," Thor lied, "you must forgive it, Councilman Ingvir."

"I am not some fool to be lied to," Ingvir snapped, "this will go on my report to the Counsel!"

A sudden shiver went through the room and Banner smiled, "So then your report to the Counsel will read 'Because the Midgardians annoyed me by tapping their fingers, I demand a vote of no-confidence in the Shadow. Clearly this display of twitching by her colleagues shows she is incapable of leading further battles against the Shadow King'?" Inessa folded out of the shadows, "Very well, Ingvir, put that in your report. But while you are here I shall teach you how to use one of our cameras- it is a video recording device. I want to see the Council members faces when they read that line."

"Shall we begin the meeting?" Steve cut the man off before he could snap again. He'd disliked the man the moment he entered the Tower (not just because he treated everyone as inferior). A member of the Counsel of Yggdrasil, one of the eight most powerful people in the nine realms, and he came in soft white robes that Thor explained were the Muspelheim equivalent to showing up in shorts and a t-shirt. He was deliberately showing no respect to the heroes of Midgard and Inessa herself- even though they'd killed the Mad God Thanos for the Counsel _and_ kept the armies of the Shadow King from taking control of any of the nine realms.

"Why is it in here?" Inessa asked as she sat down, though she suspected the answer already.

"I will _not_ sit amongst that rabble!" Ingvir fumed.

"Have care with how you speak, Councilman," Thor was losing his patience, "Those are the Avengers of Midgard and you will address them with the same respect as any hero of the Realms. One day, should they so choose, someone in this Tower shall have a seat on the Counsel of Yggdrasil. It is unwise to foster bad blood at this time." They all intended for _Steve_ to be that person, but he was leaning towards petitioning the United Nations to make it a duty of the chief of their Security Counsel rather than an Avenger.

"To answer your question Inessa," Steve pressed on, "the _Counsilman_ was not comfortable with our usual open meeting. The others are in their usual seats in the lounge and out meeting is being broadcast through the house audio to them. If any team member has something to say they were asked to address their leader directly through comms.

"Ah, I see," Inessa's eyes flashed and the room went black for a moment. Before they could register the change there was a roar of wind, a burst of flat, dead light, then more shadow and suddenly they were in the lobby- meeting table and all. Inessa looked around at the other Avengers (some flashing her a thumbs up, others giggling) and covered her mouth in mock surprise, "Oh dear, I do apologize, Leader Rogers. Ever since the blood magic incident I seem to have had some trouble with my powers. I think of going somewhere, and I go there. How unfortunate- the effort of moving everything here had temporarily exhausted me… I guess we'll just have to make due and have our meeting out here."

 _You're getting dangerously close to immaturity_ , Clint warned. As much as he loved her move, it _was_ childish.

Inessa nodded to him, _I'll play nice_.

"What are they doing?" Ingvir was watching Inessa and Clint sign their conversation.

"It is a way of communicating on Midgard without speaking," Thor explained.

"No more interruptions will be tolerated," Steve was putting an end to the fight. As rude as Ingvir was being, Inessa was returning it in kind. They were losing the moral high ground, "Inessa, report on the Shadow unit."

She nodded and crossed her arms, "As you know we haven't been contacted for any new missions from governing bodies because of the Indonesia tragedy. I am still investigating to determine the point of failure on our end, but I do not believe anything different would have happened if I were in the Tower and not saving the asses of everyone on Muspelheim and Vanaheim during that period," she looked over at Ingvir and winked, "you're welcome, by the way."

"It happens after failed or particularly high-casualty missions," Natasha reasoned, "no one wants the Avengers to get involved for a bit, then someone forces their hand." Every team had experienced this at some point- though the Indonesia tragedy set a new record for fatalities (not counting the Infinity War).

"What have you been doing instead?" Steve made a note.

Amadeus took over here, "We have been focusing on human trafficking problems in Southeast Asia and drug smuggling from monitored regions. That, of course, is in addition to our research on the blood magic used against Inessa on Niflheim."

"Ah," Ingvir said suddenly as Steve was ready to move on, "that reminds me." He pulled a slip of paper out of his robes and tossed it in Inessa's general direction, "The Counsel has looked into the illegal use of blood magic you are referring to. We believe this to be the spell in question. I know the language of the Realms is too complex for a mere _Midgardian_ to understand but what it says is-"

"It says it's a spell to cloud the judgement of the person cursed and turn fortune against them," Inessa raised an eyebrow, "but it also says the subject's blood must be used in the ritual, and I wasn't missing any. Also, these three symbols are off," she grabbed a pen from her pocket and circled them on the page.

"Four-" Amadeus pointed to one, "That should be three lines, not two."

"My bad," Inessa added another mark and passed the paper back to Ingvir, "The sigil you found is most certainly not the one used against us in Niflheim. If you would like we can send you back to the Counsel with a printed drawing of all sigils. The only ones you would have had were the ones written in stone, correct? The others were smudged as our soldiers began to wake and no one else got a clear view of the sigil on my clothing."

Ingvir crumped up the paper and dumped it back on the table, "Do not bother. We are not all that interested in _what_ the spell was. The Counsilman of Niflheim sent the image at Forseti's behest. It is of no concern to me."

"Then I will give you the images to give to the Niflheim representative-"

"I am no mere delivery boy. Convince Odin to let you send them through Heimdall." He was sneering. He knew- as they all did- that Odin would accept no request from the Avengers. He never had. Inessa looked at the calendar on her phone- under 100 days before she could get into the Realms herself and speak to the Counsel directly. She'd work on Heimdall and Odin before that, but at least she'd have her answers _then_.

"My team has run across an interesting situation," Banner spoke up this time to try and keep the meeting on-track. "We've found some evidence that suggests a company in Sweden is synthesizing their own version of the Kree serum GH-235. We have turned the investigation over to SHIELD to determine how they got the sample and what their intentions are. My team is analyzing the atomic structure of their formula and testing for viability."

"The Kree are an imbecilic race," Ingvir leaned back in his chair, "any half-wit scientist could determine instantly if the serum is anything close to Kree by simply looking at it. Of course, I am speaking of _Realm_ scientists."

Steve growled slightly, "Inessa, your part in this meeting is close enough to being finished. Why don't you take our _guest_ on a walk through the city while we finish up. Amadeus can fill in for you." Banner's team looked like they were ready to leap on the Muspelheim representative and Steve was tempted to sic his own people on him. Maybe letting Inessa and Ingvir fight it out away from the Tower would give everyone a break that much sooner- he _was_ here to make a report on her after all.

She rolled her eyes and made a face, "Is that an order? I'm only doing it if it's an order."

"It's an order."

"I must protest," Ingvir glared at Inessa as she stood, "I will not be ordered around in this manner!"

"So, you don't want to go?" Inessa asked.

"Absolutely not!"

She smiled wickedly, "In that case-" there was a flash of darkness and the two vanished.

"I feel sorry for the people of New York city now," Tony mumbled.

"Yeah, I thought we were supposed to keep scum off the streets, not send it there," Sam rolled his pen between his fingers and wondered which of them would try to kill the other first.

* * *

"Lady Ryker, I apologize for my behavior," Ingvir bowed his head slightly as they emerged in a secluded glade of Central Park, "I am ashamed of how I acted."

She smiled (kindly) then, "Allfather Ingvir, you have nothing to apologize for. If King Odin knew we were allies it would make things very difficult for your Realm. I understand precisely why we must appear to be on unamicable terms."

Ingvir nodded and they strolled out of the glade. He looked up at the skyscrapers in the distance and whistled softly, "I came to Midgard as a boy and it was all thatched huts and scraping by on the edge of death. If you had told me then what this Realm would become in such a _short_ period of time I would have never believed it."

"We have a long way to go to be on par with any of the Realms," she pointed out.

"Perhaps many generations, but it will happen within my lifetime, I think. What will Odin do when Midgard surpasses Asgard one day?"

"Can I ask you a question? It is rather sensitive," she warned.

"I will answer if I can."

Inessa considered it carefully, "Has King Odin been very different since the death of Queen Frigga? The man I have heard stories of would never behave as he is now. I am worried he is _too_ different."

They avoided the crowds in the park and strolled around the far side of a lake, sticking to the shadows. Some people looked over with curiosity at the man in the long white robes, but the rest were New Yorkers- they were used to weird. Ingvir pondered Inessa's question and stopped to watch a young couple and their child playing by the lake, "His heart was broken. It is impossible for me to say if he has changed 'too' much, but I understand your meaning. Not long ago he would have welcomed you and the Avengers to Asgard openly, given counsel, treated this Shadow King as a true threat. Now everyone is either wholeheartedly for or against him, he sees no middle ground. I do not know if he is overly grieved by his wife's death, or if something else is afoot. All I can do is continue to stand by him as a friend and be ready to step in his path if it takes a dangerous direction."

"Fair enough," she sighed. More and more Inessa was suspecting a traitor on Asgard as well, but how could it be related to _her_ traitor? Was an Avenger working with King Odin? What was the goal- to discredit her and get her _out_ of the Realms? She had too few pieces to this puzzle, and unfortunately gathering more would probably require that more went wrong.

"That blood magic seal I brought," Ingvir resumed his walk and she followed close by, "it is not the sigil you and the others were exposed to, true, but it is the closest Forseti could come. In the Great Library there is very little on the subject. He believes it to be a form of blood magic used by Thanos' associates. We knew already that the Shadow King was one of his 'children' once, but… You have contacts beyond the nine realms- the team who call themselves 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and the brother of your Hawkeye. You should contact them, ask them to seek out the answers. I do not think you will find them on the Realms unless by some stroke of ill fate the Shadow King advances rapidly enough in the next 93 days to have you called back _and_ you somehow manage to capture him."

"And how likely is that to-" a series of sharp _cracks_ , like dozens of sticks being broken at once, echoed across the park. Inessa looked around, then shoved Ingvir to the ground as the tree behind them splintered under a shower of bullets. She dove to the ground next to him, willed her body to remain with its eyes _closed_ , and brought Nadya through. People began to scream, first in panic, then in fear as the rarely-viewed Shadow of the Avengers dove out of the trees and leapt over the lake in one fluid movement. The Shadow may have helped in the war against Thanos, but that didn't change the fact that it was an incorporeal monster made literally out of darkness. It's disproportionally long arms and nearly foot long talons gave it an odd, lopsided run while the flattened muzzle and wolf ears formed a face with an almost ear-to-ear Glasgow smile. Anyone who caught a glimpse of its silver eyes would have nightmares for _weeks_.

Inessa dove through the crowd and let her enhanced senses tell her where the gunman was. People were running everywhere in a panic, it was easy to see the one who moved with purpose and precision. They were running away now, using the chaos to escape. The Shadow dove after them. They looked back, but a black mask obscured their entire face. Inessa ran faster, closed the gap between them in record time. She reached out to slash at the human-

-and a fireball erupted in their place. The Shadow couldn't hold form against both the daylight and the explosion. Inessa allowed herself to be thrown back into her body on the other side of the park, weak and panting, as Nadya was thrown into the Valley. Her hands shook and her vision kept flickering between blurry and sharp- a side effect of using her abilities like that in broad daylight. Inessa's arms were like jelly. She managed to pull a silver box from her pocket and held it up to her eyes. The mechanics inside the case whirred and two small appendages appeared to place her colored lenses in her eyes. It was better if no one saw a human with silver eyes after the Shadow had taken an already panicked scene and made it worse. She tried to sit up, but even that was too much for her.

"JARVIS, call the Tower-"

"They are already on their way."

Inessa lifted her head and looked to the side where she'd thrown Ingvir. Her aching body went suddenly numb. His mouth was open in surprise, as were his eyes, but they didn't move. Inessa let adrenaline fill her veins and she pushed his body away just enough so that she could see between them. There were four large, red bullet holes centered around his chest. Inessa's heart raced as panic set in. Her ally was dead. Not just that- a representative of the Counsel of Yggdrasil was _dead_ while meeting with the Avengers. Even without adding in that he was investigating her (at least, that's what they thought) and it painted a _very_ dark picture.

 _This could start a war._


	18. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: A.E. - Monsters**

"Gamora wasn't kidding. If she finds you on this side of the ship she'll kick your ass," Inessa rolled her head to the side and glanced at Bucky lurking in the shadows. "The Collector's trove is still a couple days out. Focus on resting up and getting your new blades ready."

Bucky didn't like the look of her- her skin seemed pale but her cheeks were red. She wasn't sitting in the chair, it looked more like she'd been dumped there, "Are you alright? Do you need me to get you anything?" she didn't know he'd heard everything. A traitor in her own team- people she'd trusted, people she'd trained- he couldn't imagine what that felt like ( _being_ the traitor- that he knew well enough from his days as the Winter Soldier).

Inessa shook her head very slightly, "It looks worse than it is, I promise. If I keep my heartrate down and don't move around much I can squeeze a bit more time out of the reservoir before it hits empty."

"How far from the Collector to Berny? You'll only have a few days and if Sam gets word to him first I don't know if I can fight through them solo." He kept his tone gentle, maybe exaggerated things a bit, but if this was going to succeed he _definitely_ needed her in fighting shape. Or at least looking scary.

She pondered it a moment, "Either Sam's waiting for us there, or he's waiting for us at Berny's. The Asgardians have access to ships, Loki will have given him the fastest. We just have to hope he's waiting at the Collector. By the time we get to Berny's… It'll be close. He doesn't like having anyone in his backyard. If there's a fight there then I might not be able to understand exactly what you're saying."

"Last time you ran low- well, the last time I was there- you couldn't control your powers. What happens if you fall into the Valley out here? Space is pretty dark. We might never get you back."

Inessa chuckled, "Space is _incredibly_ bright, there's just nothing for the light to reflect off of so you don't notice it. Don't worry. Besides- if the Collector supplied Loki with those anti-me devices then he'll have at least one laying around. We get that and all we've got to do is switch it on. It'll lock me down at least," she sighed. "Using the weapon they made to use against me to save myself. Is that irony?" Bucky smirked.

"Hey, um, there's something we need to talk about," she'd intended to keep it a secret along with basically everything else but the odds were too high that when they next saw Sam he'd spill the beans. In the heat of battle it could be deadly, and at least this way there was time to convince Bucky and bring him back around to her side.

"What?"

"Something that happened when Thor and I were with Cul Borson… We kept it quiet until things settled down a bit more- it was after you left, so you wouldn't know or anything…" Finding the words were proving to be more difficult than anticipated.

Bucky groaned, "Just don't tell me he's still alive, please?"

"No, no I promise he's _very_ dead. It's.. Um… The chances are pretty good- well, actually by now I'm fairly positive that, um…"

"Just say it," he prompted gently, "say everything you want to say, then tell me when it's alright to ask questions, okay?"

Inessa nodded and tried to organize the thoughts in her mind, "Um… It was Berny's theory, we didn't know until Cul said something about him being right and then we had to go back and ask him but we had a good idea… Cul tried to use his powers against me, see, and it didn't work. He put out this gray mist and I guess it sucks the life out of you or something, but when it touched me it turned all black, and if the mist feeds off life and I'm the way I am then it sort of makes sense that it fed off whatever I actually am and rebounded towards him… Plus the wolves had a pretty bad reaction to him, too personal, so it really is more than plausible…" _What the fuck? Even I can't follow that!_

"I think you missed a sentence somewhere," Bucky offered.

"Yeah, sorry. Thor did most of the explaining before and I haven't had to do this in a long time," she took another deep breath, "Inessa Ryker- well, I guess if we're talking about back then _Nadya Ryker_ would be more accurate," _stop babbling dumbass_ , "Nadya Ryker might not have survived Project Helius after all."

"Aanndd you lost me."

"There's enough evidence to indicate that Nadya Ryker died in the womb that we can't ignore it. The Valley- the reason it exists at all is because of Cul Borson. Nornheim- the realm that the Jotuns destroyed to help capture Cul- you've been there. It's the Valley." She was butchering the explanation, but unbeknownst to her _this_ part of the story Bucky had heard over the intercoms, "I don't know what the shadows are there- all I know is I influenced their shape when I was a kid. I don't know how, I've been trying to turn Nadya into something like a dragon, but it's not working. Anyways, Berny had this theory he told Cul about before the battle, more as a talking point than anything. He thought maybe Nadya Ryker _did_ die with Emilie Ryker. The Helius explosion was so bad, it's possible the baby was transported to the Valley- that or a Shadow came through to Earth. The reason I can jump into any Shadow's body might not just be part of a power I gained in the explosion. I might just be haunting _this_ body."

Bucky was still trying to process the roundabout way she'd explained everything, "So, basically, one of the wolves jumped into Nadya's remains and now you're a walking, talking person when you should be a ghost or whatever?"

"Your first vision- when you saw me in my Shadow form for the first time- you said you were watching the Helius explosion and something was unleashed?"

"Yeah but if you were a shade why doesn't the frequency throw you back into the Valley?"

"I don't know," Inessa admitted, "there's a lot I don't know with this, a lot I'll probably never know. I just wanted _you_ to know in case Sam says something."

"OK," Bucky shrugged, "I don't think it even matters, honestly. I'm surprised you'd bother bringing it up."

"Huh?" She was confused.

Bucky looked away from her and picked at his nails, "What I did to you in Astana- what the Winter Soldier did, whatever- you still remember it?"

"Of course." Her voice took a slightly stiffer tone.

"It hurt, right? All of it? And you were scared?"

"I've never been more scared- before or sense- in my entire life," she lightly traced a scar on the back of her hand, "and I don't think there's even a word for what it felt like. There aren't a million words in any combination."

"You know how much I regret that? Did you know it back then?"

"Yeah. I know, and yeah, I knew. You were as scared and in just as much _pain_ as I was." A memory grabbed at her and drew her attention, "When you skinned my leg- the first time especially- I remember staring at you before the knife went in and I thought you'd start screaming with me. It was just for a second, but your hands were shaking and you looked like you were taking back the controls. Dennisson came in and talked you through it until the Winter Soldier was back in control. Then he had you zapped. After that, as long as I remembered to look, I'd see it sometimes. You fighting back to stop it."

"I think I remember that too," Bucky almost went off track, "You followed me around after you escaped, right? Tried to get me to find your body so you could die?"

Those memories were harder for Inessa to access, "I remember the intent, not actually doing anything. But yeah, I tried my best, drove you a bit insane during those last few days before you found me."

"Did you tell me to blow up the Hydra Asylum?"

"I think so."

"Did you mouse around on Clint's farm, scared of even the wind blowing?"

"At first, yeah," where was this going?

"One more question," Bucky looked back at Inessa, "did you help save us- in New York and at Clint's farm- wade into a battlefield with half your mind gone, _and_ take a crazy god on a joy ride to another world so you and Thor could kill him?"

"Yes."

Bucky smiled at last, "I'm here not only because I owe you, but because we're friends. We've been through a lot together, Inessa. Maybe Emilie Ryker's baby _did_ die and you're along for the ride somehow- but that's got nothing to do with the Inessa I know. I'm _your_ ally, not the ally of the original wearer of the meat-suit. Thank you for telling me, but I'm not worried about it, and you shouldn't be either."

It felt like a weight had been lifted off of Inessa's shoulders. She'd been trapped under it for so long- how to tell him and what his reaction would be when she did. Not knowing if she was human was something she and Sam were equally fixated on, Bucky's perspective was not-so-surprisingly identical to Steve's all those years ago.

"See?" Bucky noticed the slight curve of Inessa's lips, "I handle information a lot better than you thought, right? Maybe one day- very very soon mind you- you'll share more of it."

Inessa nodded slightly and smiled, "Maybe."

* * *

"Amadeus? Can I come in?" Sam's voice was soft, for once.

"It isn't like _I'm_ the one that gets to make that decision," the boy snapped back. He _huffed_ as Sam unlocked the brig door and entered, then looked away.

Sam sighed and shut the door securely. He pulled something out of his pocket and waved it around until Amadeus looked up- one of Tony's Cone-Of-Silence devices. Sam activated it and set it on the cold metal floor of the cell. There were no windows and only a small vent in the ceiling to cycle the air. The Asgardians had very few ships capable of interstellar travel, but they damn well knew how to make them uncomfortable. There wasn't so much as a ledge to sleep on, and the bathroom was downright inhumane. Amadeus was freezing his ass off in here.

"I wanted to speak frankly," Sam began. Amadeus resumed an intense study of his fingernails. His superior tossed something soft and warm at him- his jacket, "I'm sorry about the conditions, I swear it's a necessity."

"It's necessary to drag me across the universe and freeze me to death?" Amadeus pulled the jacket on despite his rage- his pride wasn't so iron-clad that he wouldn't accept something more than the jeans and t-shirt he had on, "Want to beat me up again? You seemed to like watching that."

Sam shook his head, "I know you won't believe me, I know you've got no right to, but I promise you and I are on the same side here. Inessa is our _friend_ , even after everything. I don't think she'd ever betray us! Don't forget, I knew her even longer than you did. I know exactly where her loyalties are- where they've _always_ been- with us."

"But what? What's the next part of your argument to make me think killing MY LEADER is something I should get behind?" Amadeus shouted at Sam, challenging him, "Are you going to say you're protecting her from herself? From the blood magic? That this is something Inessa would _want_ you to do?"

Again, the leader sighed, "I'm saying that between everything- the blood magic, Councilman Ingvir's death, the accusations, the _murder_ \- none of it feels like something Inessa would do. I don't want to kill her, Amadeus, I never wanted to kill her. This team I brought along- they're the best offensive and defensive members we've got. Whatever Inessa is heading towards- maybe we can help her fight it. But they're angry, they don't know Inessa like we do, they don't _trust_ her. I play their passions until we find a worthy target, and I attack her just enough to make it look good for them."

"What do you want from me?"

"I want to make sure whatever they plan, it isn't going to stop her efforts. I don't want Inessa getting caught in the line of fire before we find out who's really responsible for the deaths of my friends. I swear that to you as an Avenger, as a Leader, and as a friend. Help me keep Inessa alive."

Amadeus tried to read his eyes- something Inessa was always so much better at. There was sincerity there, but something else underscored it. His Leader taught him once that the first thing you see when you look in someone's eyes is the lie. The second thing you notice is the truth. What was it that burned in Sam? The answer was obvious enough- wrath. Pride. Desperation. It didn't take any special abilities to know Sam was lying, trying to make him part of the fold...

"You know I don't believe you, right?"

"I know. You know I need you to, for her sake, right?"

"Shitty position for us both to be in, huh?"

Sam smiled for only a second, "Would it help if I said it's what Inessa would want?"

"Inessa would have wanted you to stand by her and use your influence to keep the investigation on-course. You know there was a traitor in the Tower. You never even considered it as a lead."

He sighed with exasperation this time, "Yeah, I know how much you hate Marie. That's why I brought her. If she _is_ the reason Steve, Natasha, Tony- _everyone_ had to die, then I want her with me, not back home. Deal with it."

Amadeus refused to reply. Sam shivered slightly in the room and glanced around, "I'll have a cot sent in. Blankets too. There's no way to regulate the heat in here that we can figure out, but Odin only sent a handful of Asgardians to help and I don't think any of them know how to fly a ship..." Amadeus still wouldn't reply. He'd said everything he wanted to say to Sam, but the Leader wasn't ready to give up just yet, "When we get to the Collector's we'll do a scan for Peter's ship. If it isn't there we high-tail it to Berny's. Everyone knows that's where she'll go next. Either way they'll set up an ambush outside, pin her and Bucky in place with no escape route, then swarm them. Only Marie was useful in Asgard- this time we all hit at once."

Sam stood with a slight groan and rubbed his knees a moment to give Amadeus time to think before he deactivated the device. If all he wanted was to know how to make their plan fail, then what did the lieutenant risk by showing him how? " _Inside_ ," Sam froze with his hand on the cone and glanced up, surprised, "Outside Marie can draw power from the engine of any ship in the parking lot- Peter's too, if they stick around. Inside she's less of a threat since she won't risk damaging the containment units on any of the Collector's items. Have them ambush her inside- using the stacks as cover- and she'll slip away, guaranteed. Don't strike until she has her intel and is leaving though. Sell it to them along the lines of 'she'll have her defenses down'."

"Of course," Sam turned the device off, "Thank you Amadeus."

"Don't thank me until I see Inessa get safely away from them. Prove that I can believe you and we'll see what happens." He shoved his frozen hands into the pockets of the jacket as Sam left, wondering as always if he had done the right thing. Usually Amadeus could look at any problem 4-dimensionally in an instant, see all the ins and outs, predict the outcome. This time though it was infinitely more difficult. There were too many variables, too many unknowns, and he didn't even know for sure which side he was supposed to be fighting for.

"Well? How'd it go?" Marie and Eoin were on the bridge with Calder as Sam came up.

"He says move the fight inside _and_ let her get the intel first."

Eoin laughed, "He really isn't even letting you _pretend_ to make it easy on her, huh?"

"Hey," Sam took exception at the tone in Eoin's voice, "don't forget that he's not an enemy, alright? She poisoned a lot of minds for a long time- and he was with her a lot more often than any of us- being her lieutenant for three years. Who knows what she's done to the poor boy's head?"

"So what's your call?" Marie was impatient enough waiting for the fight. After what Inessa put her through…

"Amadeus wanted me to promise to let her get away, but if we can end it here then we do. Confronting her inside- like he wants- limits you, Marie, and it limits what Kelsey can do with that sword of hers. I've seen what Bucky Barnes can do with even a little bit of cover- we can't give him a whole warehouse full. This goes down outside, before they see the Collector, and if she gets away send word to Berny. He'll know what to do."

Whatever the outcome, Sam would tell Amadeus they'd done as he asked and Inessa had escaped. The bitch wanted the Collector for something, according to King Odin, which told him she wasn't finished just yet. Whatever her plans for Earth were, Sam was the one who was going to stop it. "We should have left that monster to Dennisson," he snarled.

Calder suppressed his grin, his master was going to be pleased and, after nearly six years, his brother's mission would be completed. The humans never mentioned their old foe, Sebastian Morris, but Calder would make sure they damn well remembered him before the end.

* * *

For story notes visit **ProjectEchoFanfic** dot **tumblr** dot **com**

I've spent the last week conferring with my old college roommate Samantha-Marie (Guess where that character got her name from? Sammy's little brother Kyle LOVED the Hydra treatment he got in Chapter 1) and I am pleased to say the next fic after "Project Echo" will be "Avengers: Valkyrie Wars", a collaboration between myself and Samantha! I'm working on a good, short summary to give you all an idea of what to expect, but it's sure to be an exciting fic! Loki will be playing a fairly large role in this one, I promise! I will say, however, that this fic is in a totally different universe from "Project Echo", and while there will be little nods to the story, there will be _no_ Inessa, but you will get to meet the character who inspired Inessa (technically "Valkyrie Wars" was written before "Project Echo" by like 5 months).

Also, on a whim I put all 3 parts of Project Echo (up through Chapter 13 of Part 3) into a document and, single spaced Time New Roman 12-point font with 1" margines, "Project Echo" so far is 1 million characters, 270,000+ words, and **492 PAGES LONG!** I just thought that was pretty freaking cool and wanted to share :)


	19. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: 60 Days Before the Explosion**

"Citizen, are you injured?" Inessa was still gaping at Ingvir when the Avengers arrived to sort out the chaos in the park. She shook her head slightly as Vision carefully lifted the Councilman's body away from hers. His blood covered most of her chest and made her shiver in the summer breeze. Without him pinning her down, Inessa managed to tip onto her side. Vision carefully helped her to sit up, the perfect image of an Avenger helping a woman in shock, "Here, I will take you to be examined by medical professionals. Do not worry, we will determine who has committed this crime. I am sorry for the loss of your-?"

"Friend." Vision had to support Inessa as she stood, but she wasn't about to let him carry her. Going full-out Shadow in the middle of a bright, cloudless day plus the abrupt shot back into her body had sapped her energy. Small tricks- making things appear or vanish- those weren't too tough anymore, but moving herself _and_ maintaining Nadya's form as long as she did took a huge toll. The early signs of a migraine were already beginning. By evening she'd be a complete wreck.

Around them the Avengers were arriving _en masse_ , thanks to the teleporters, and taking full control of the scene. Tony's remote suits descended from Avengers Tower in the distance to establish a perimeter and begin scanning faces. Marie appeared next to the smoking crater that was once the shooter and began siphoning off the incredible heat while Geoff went back for Amadeus and Noelle. Sharon and Steve were intercepting NYPD to gain full control of the scene, and Clint, Natasha, Thor, and Sam were gathering around Ingvir's body. There was a flash of light behind the people crowding to see through the barrier Tony's suits were forming (his latest "Crowd Blocker" model came with metal sheets that extended on both sides) and a certain Asian boy appeared casually leaning against a tree- jamming all 4G and Wi-Fi signals as he scanned every cell phone, tablet, and web-link camera for footage of the attack. As Vision slowly led Inessa towards an arriving ambulance he glanced up and met her eyes. _Mobilize them,_ she mouthed. He nodded and went back to work.

"Here Miss, the paramedics will watch over you," Vision opened the back of the ambulance as soon as it stopped and helped lift her inside. Civilians who saw clapped for the Avenger, the intended effect.

Wanda was waiting in the back of the ambulance with Banner and his lieutenant, Travis. As soon as Vision closed the door Banner scrambled for a syringe and began digging through his medical bag, "Alright Nessie, hold on," Travis coughed and pulled a vial out of his Leader's jacket pocket and handed it to him. It was highly concentrated liquid caffeine, dangerous to most people and potentially lethal. Only Banner was allowed to give Inessa the injections, and only under extremely limited circumstances, like this one. It was only temporary assistance, but it would give her an hour or so before she _really_ crashed, and now it was going to be an even more difficult night.

The world slowly stopped spinning and her throbbing muscles began to ache rather than burn. That was the best she could hope for when she used her powers like that, "Thank you," Travis handed her a small piece of chocolate- the injection kept her awake, but her body needed sugar more than anything after the exertion.

"What happened?" Wanda had a washcloth drenched in alcohol she was using to dab away the blood on her arms, just in case Inessa really _was_ injured.

"We were just walking. This guy across the pond started shooting and I grabbed Ingvir. I dove, jumped ship, and went after the guy as the Shadow. I think it was a guy, I really don't know… They blew before I caught up- or someone detonated him. I couldn't even see their face."

Wanda was concerned, "Were you and Ingvir fighting? Could you have drawn the attacker's attention somehow?"

Inessa shook her head, "We weren't really like how we acted at the Tower. Ingvir's always been a good friend. He's the one who gave Forseti permission to sneak us the Asgardian books. He only acts like a dick so Odin doesn't freeze him out… Or- he _would_ act like a dick…" she looked down and rubbed at her stinging eyes.

"Amadeus is gathering all images and videos taken at the park, so don't worry. If anyone got a shot of them we'll do our best to get an ID. Once the remains are cooled down we'll collect those as well. Everyone's here, we'll get to the bottom of this."

While Banner spoke a chill went up Inessa's spine. She shivered uncomfortably, but the cold kept spreading slower than was reasonable for the blood-drenched shirt, "Do you-?" she looked to the others in the ambulance. Wanda's face was growing pale, and even Banner looked tense, "Hulk on standby."

Travis rolled up his sleeve to investigate his Avengers tracking marker- a silver scar in the shape of a caduceus. It seemed to pulse unnaturally. Inessa reached over and put her hand across it- ice cold. "All the Avengers are here?" she confirmed. Her heart was pounding so hard she was willing to bet the others could hear it.

Banner nodded, half-green. Wanda and Inessa both swore in different Russian dialects, "AVENGERS FAN OUT ACROSS THE CITY!" Inessa yelled into her comms, "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" She grabbed the Ambulance door and waved out Banner and Wanda, but shut it and locked it before Travis could leave.

"Keep me going, got it? No matter what," she picked up Banner's vial of illegal energy boosters and pressed it into Travis' hand, "That's an order from a superior."

He tried to shove it back at her but she locked her hand around his wrist, "Either do what I say or I'll kick you out and do it myself- wouldn't you rather have someone more responsible calling the shots?"

Travis thought for a moment and nodded, "Within reason."

"Damn reason," she tapped her comms again to open them. "Someone's luring us all into one place, fan out across the city and be on alert. I'm bringing out the pack to assist. Shadow Unit's auxiliary members are being alerted. Steve-"

"I'll tell NYPD Daredevil and Spider Man are with us this time- they're not allowed to engage." Situations like this were precisely why Inessa had made the freelancing heroes auxiliary members of the Avengers- they weren't subject to the same rules and formations of her main team, but whenever they ran with the Avengers blessing they were untouchable in the eyes of the law.

Inessa nodded to Travis and closed her eyes, regretting her decision before she'd even begun. She felt something soft touch her lips and opened an eye. Travis was holding out another washcloth- this one dry. Inessa shook slightly as she bit down on it and closed her eyes again. _Now for the hard part_.

Her body was a wreck, an illegal drug was the only thing keeping her upright, and she was about to force a tear in the fabric of reality. This was usually Wanda's area of expertise. Inessa ramped up her breathing, grabbed the edges of the gurney for support, and ripped open every vague shadow on the island of Manhattan.

It felt like she was ripping her own skin off. Fire burned up and down her arms as she erupted in black mist. It poured from her and filled the ambulance- but Travis was at no risk. The smoke made his marker throb, but Inessa's muffled screaming reminded him how much worse he could get. His ability was psychic- he could read the pain anyone was feeling and either replicate it in himself or – a more aggressive side to his abilities he refused to use- force that same pain in someone else. As a doctor it helped him treat patients. In this case though he couldn't do anything but watch for the telltale signs of strain on Inessa's system. They'd pushed her abilities before- during the Infinity War was the last time that came to mind- using her powers in broad daylight destroyed most of the nutrients in her body and caused it to lapse into the same state as someone starved for a week or so. Pushing beyond that began ripping away at the muscles and bones itself.

The mist bleeding from Inessa might as well have been fire or acid for the pain it caused. She tried to keep her mind focused on summoning her pack and dispersing them through the streets, but every time one exited the Valley the pain only increased. Their presence in this world was tied to her energy as well, and in the middle of the day the shadows weren't enough to ease the shock.

It took _years_ to tame the pack. Her efforts against Hydra and other enemies who'd surfaced kept them well fed with human flesh. So long as they got their share of blood they were willing to obey. Thankfully Hydra had been generous. It wasn't as if they needed the food- they were shadows, incorporeal, they _needed_ nothing, but they knew the price of their loyalty. At least it looked as if feeding them once every month or two was enough.

All traffic lights in New York went red and sirens began to sound, alerting people that the Avengers were mobilizing. A second later the Shadow's army began its sweep. Inessa had no way of knowing when or even if Travis gave her more injections, she just had to endure the flames and the burning as long as possible. Her mouth felt raw and bloody as she ground her teeth into the cloth of the towel, but she couldn't focus on that now. She had to focus on her pack. They were no threat to the people of New York- but that didn't mean they knew what to look for.

She let them draw power from her body, rip away at her piece by piece, and scanned from one mind to the next. Sights, sounds, smells- she tried to read through them all, looking for anything out of place. A man as important as Ingvir of Niflheim isn't randomly gunned down in Central Park on a stroll with an Avenger. Someone knew they were there- someone sent that attacker. Why? Any emergency in New York bad enough to involve the Avengers got one team, maybe two if Inessa and her Unit were bored. An emergency _involving_ an Avenger though- that earned everyone. Why lure the Avengers out to Central Park? What were they being kept from seeing?

Inessa unleashed Nadya herself in Avengers Tower with three other wolves. JARVIS was monitoring comms always, he'd know they were on security alert. With the appearance of the photon anomaly that always accompanied Inessa's wolves his alarms went off. Every window on every floor instantly blacked out and the lights went to 10% power to facilitate the Avenger. At least she could control the wolves in there.

Blood began to drip from Inessa's ears and eyes. Travis opened one of them- he counted three burst blood vessels. The trauma on her system was too much- and he'd already given her a second _and_ third injection, "Captain Rogers- permission to shut Inessa down. Her condition is too-"

"Do it!" Steve hated Inessa pushing her abilities like this, "How does it help us if she kills herself searching the city?!"

"Thank you!" He hated disobeying a Leader- he'd spent ten years in the Army- it was what paid for a chunk of grad school- the chain of command was important to him and so he never disobeyed a leader without Steve's permission. Any ex-military Avenger knew the impulse.

Travis grabbed Banner's bag and pulled out several vials. First things first- he filled a syringe with the most powerful tranquilizer he could find and injected it into Inessa's leg. Her head snapped back and her spine arched away from the cot. For a moment an incredible amount of smoke began to pour from her and solidify. At one point it was as if she were covered in an armor of the stuff- something Travis had never seen before. He hesitated as he filled a new syringe with the anti-venom for the Shadow's poison. Inessa' condition got worse the more she strained her powers, but if the shadows around her blocked the needle things could get bad fast.

He grabbed the handle of the ambulance door and stuck his head out. The crowd was in a panic, but Tony's suits were keeping them in the perimeter while the investigation was ongoing. He looked to the west side of the van and saw the line of police cars, blocking the ambulance's side from any curious eyes, "I'm going to need psychics here for a mind wipe!" Travis threw his syringes and the bottles back into the bag and tossed it out the back of the ambulance. He threw a sheet over Inessa's rigid body and hastily drew the gurney from the back of the automobile.

Once the police officers saw what he was doing, they rushed to help. With their assistance he got her around to the side where no civilians would see. One of the officers yanked off the sheet as Inessa screamed again and fell to the ground with a shout of surprise. The black shell covered most of her face now and was spreading upwards- in a few seconds she would be nothing but shadow. Travis was praying his idea would work, "GET BACK!" He shoved the officers towards their cars. Without them looming over her sunlight, unobstructed, shone down on the Avenger.

Inessa began to pant and thrash. More blood flowed, but the black shell began creeping back away from her face. Travis pulled out his phone and made a quick video of the bizarre sight to examine later. Her shoulders were free first, and so Travis threw his phone down and quickly began injecting the anti-toxin and every vitamin he could get his hands on in the bag. By the time the shadow-armor vanished entirely and Inessa finally collapsed under the sedation he'd gone through eight needles.

Her mind drifted into oblivion, disconnected from anything she knew. The shadows in the streets vanished, but the Avengers presence remained on high alert. Travis wouldn't move her back into the ambulance- it was too dark. There was too much temptation for her abilities to pull her through at random, as they tended to do when she was weak. The sunlight was safer. Eventually Steve dispatched their psychics- Ellie and Manuel- to begin the arduous process of wiping the minds of the five NYPD officers who'd seen Inessa.

Travis had a suit carry her back to the Tower while he found Banner (still half-Hulked out) and headed over to monitor her condition. The Avengers kept a watchful eye over the city throughout the night, but for all their abilities no one saw anything out of the ordinary.

* * *

 **57 Days Before the Explosion**

"Amadeus, give us your report," there was no energy in Natasha's voice. Nothing should have surprised them, not after everything they'd been through, but it was turning out to be just one of those days.

The Avengers met informally in the lobby, but very few of the other members came out of training or research upstairs. Every now and then a medically-minded one would emerge from the recovery room and the group would tense for a moment. Wanda was inside with Inessa while the Shadow Unit briefed the others. Samantha and Noelle flanked their lieutenant as a show of support.

No one saw anything unusual the entire night they had the city on alert. Not so much as a jaywalker went unobserved. Yet somehow they'd missed it- a mass abduction. Starting in the wee hours of the morning people had woken only to roll over in bed and find their husbands, wives, daughters, and sons missing. "The missing seem to have plateaued at 4,286. Factoring in the average rate people are reported missing I think it's safe to say whatever got them targeted individuals on the island of Manhattan only."

Clint kept his eyes downcast, "I hate to be the one to say it- but Inessa's wolves were seen all over the city. Did you-"

"I used Helius to enter the Valley," Amadeus confirmed, "whatever Inessa and Travis felt- the trackers going nuts- there's no apparent source. You need her to confirm that though. The creatures in that place- they're not behaving normally. Even Nadya didn't come to us. They're just laying around."

"Speaking of-" Sam glanced at Natasha and Tonys' faces- the most worried of the group, "how is our girl?"

Banner fielded this question, "Ellie couldn't get a conclusive read on her mental condition," Natasha's psychic was one of the best they had. That alone was qualification for "disaster". "I had Francis try to heal her, but all she could do was patch up the main damage- Inessa's still flirting with kidney and liver failure and her body is cannibalizing itself for minerals. We can't pump nutrients into her fast enough to get ahead of this."

" _When_ she wakes up," Steve was keeping optimistic, "make sure she doesn't use her abilities right away." Amadeus nodded his understanding, "If she needs to go into the Valley for some reason you have my permission to take a Helius device. Pushing her body like that- Inessa might have upset whatever balance is holding her in there."

Clint and Natasha scanned the room immediately, looking for any sign an Avenger had heard what Cap said. There were only a couple people, and they didn't seem to be paying much attention. Inessa's secret _had_ to be kept, that was the deal they'd made with her all those years ago. No one could know she was _mostly_ human. Amadeus glanced back to Noelle and Marie, "Not a word." They nodded, but confusion was plain on their faces. They might not know exactly what Steve was saying, but they were smart. They'd figure it out soon enough.

"What about the shooter? What do we know?"

Vision was in charge of this area and he had a tablet prepared, "We compiled partial images from over a dozen cameras to generate an image." Tony noticed immediately the android seemed anxious, "It is not an exact science, there is margin for error and naturally nothing can be certain-"

"Show us." He handed his tablet to Tony, reluctant and ashamed. The image was only of half a face- and it was garbled at that. The only clear part of it was the man's right eye. It didn't take a genius to see why the picture made Vision so uncomfortable. His entire eye was pitch-black with unmistakable slivers of dark mist surrounding them, like a dark fire burned from inside. It was a look most of the Avengers had shared once upon a time.

The shooter was possessed by the Shadow.

* * *

Inessa floated in darkness, lost and weak. She felt the probing mind of a psychic around her and let it wash over her, but something held it at bay, just out of reach. She didn't understand. On the other hand- she didn't care. All she knew was that the pressure was forced away from her and she was allowed to drift in peace.

Maybe hours passed since was last aware, maybe days. Occasionally she would try to remember who she was, what she had been doing. Every time she probed all she found was pain and confusion- a child, a prisoner, a hero, she couldn't keep the timeline straight. This was a dream of some sort, yes, but was it one she should wake up from? She couldn't remember. Was she a hero _after_ being a prisoner, or was the prisoner her reality now? Was she fleeing, fighting, pinned down?

Eventually she grew bored with the questions and tried to focus on the last thing she'd seen or heard. She remembered vague shapes and colors, but kept at it, sharpening details until she saw the park. After what felt like several hours more she remembered most of the search through New York.

She'd returned to the Tower though- why? _To search out a traitor._

What did she see through Nadya's eyes? _The library._

What happened in the library? _Forseti's books._

What about the books? _Someone was digging through them, taking a handful_.

Inessa remembered ordering the Avengers to search the city, who'd gone back to the Tower? Who was it taking Asgardian books- only she and Thor knew how to read them. Every Avenger in the Tower was marked with a silver scar. Tony abused the embedded comms, used them to track people during the Civil War, so the Avengers turned to Inessa and her venom. If this person was in the Avengers part of the Tower they had to be marked, but what was the mark of the intruder?

She remembered seeing them through Nadya's eyes just before she'd lost all control. This person wasn't marked. But all Avengers had-

 _No. Not all Avengers,_ she remembered the person she'd seen rifling through the stacks of books now, _Marie hasn't been tagged yet._

Inessa found her traitor. Now all she had to do was find her way back from oblivion.

* * *

 **Writer Note:**

* * *

Sorry this chapter took so long- it's been one hell of a week. Surprise vacation planning, new car (Jellybean proved unreliable (stupid Ford) so this one is named Steve because Captain America won't let me down), maxed out work schedule...

I've got 2 announcements for you though:

I will be posting the "Avengers: Valkyrie Wars" preview at some point today, I'm still working with my writing partner to iron out some details. All I know for sure right now is it will be a 2-part deal, yet with both parts it _may_ end up being longer than "Project Echo". It will start off more than a year after "Captain America: Winter Soldier" with Bucky already a part of the Avengers. No Wanda or Vision though (just because I've already got a lot of characters, there's not much of a place for them).

Also- It isn't high on my priorities list but I have begun re-writing "Project Echo". It'll still be the same story, but this is like a Draft 2. Every chapter will be re-written and expanded and several more chapters will be added to improve the flow. I will just post chapters as they are ready, all 3 parts will eventually be posted to one big "Project Echo". However, I will _never_ remove the original. I promise. This is just me trying some things I didn't do with the first pass. Plus- now I have Microsoft Word so no more spelling mistakes! Expect the new prologue to be posted tonight, maybe the new Chapter 1, but I've still got a lot of work to do on that.

Finally- a great big **THANK YOU** to everyone who showed their support in dealing with the a-hole trying to post "Project Echo" as their own! I am happy to say the sub-human took theirs down and while I am still monitoring closely for copy-cats there does not appear to be any. A lot of you sent me nice messages regarding that drama and I want you to know I really appreciate it! Very few things get me angry faster than plagiarism and I'm happy to see I'm not alone there!


	20. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: A.E. - The Collector (Part 2)**

"Heads up, we'll be at the Collector's Vault soon," Peter's warning was more for his own crew than Inessa and Bucky, they were on the bridge with him.

"Last chance," Inessa looked to Bucky as she double checked the edges of the scythes, "figure out a better plan yet?"

Bucky shook his head, "Ask his price, and figure out if we can pay it. If not, then you do it your way." He glanced over at her and sheathed his own blades, "Are you alright?"

"Am I alright?" Inessa put her scythes down and picked up her arm guards. Bucky held out a hand. She eyed him wearily, then hesitantly passed him an upper guard.

"I haven't seen you refill the anti-venom," he nodded to the silver disk on her wrist and pulled her arm out slightly so he could help fix the armor properly. There were leather straps and buckles, but the primary attachment on the bands appeared to be a magnetic lock. His left hand momentarily stuck in the clams and in freeing it he sent a shower of sparks onto her exposed shoulder, "I'm sorry!" Bucky quickly checked the skin for singes. The only time his metal arm set off sparks like that was when it hit-

"Vibranium," she explained in response to his look, "after you left we came across a cache of it. Enough that most of the Leaders have some sort of vibranium armor. Vision? He's roughly 70% of the stuff." Inessa glanced at Bucky's hand, still on her forearm, "and don't worry. It's not the first time that arm's been burned. I can handle a few sparks."

"I know," Bucky released her shoulder and concentrated on attaching the secondary straps. Inessa slid her forearm guards on.

"You know, you were my mission for the last three years."

He was surprised at that, "Wait, what?"

Inessa nodded, "We started hearing whispers in rural Asia about a one-armed monk helping people out. We didn't know it was you- Steve asked me to keep an eye on it for potential recruitment. It was around two years ago- when you _inspired_ that drug lord to relocate I started to suspect you might be the Nomad. We could never predict where you were going, but we could usually figure out where you'd been. I kept that from Steve, and from my team."

"I appreciate that. I needed time to get my head on straight."

"And?"

Bucky nodded, "And it wasn't so bad. I thought I'd be bored out of my mind at first, but- I was a hero without having to hurt anyone. Pierce- my Hydra taskmaster- he used to give these little speeches before every mission- tell me I was doing good work, the work of a hero, helping shape the world for the better," he shuddered slightly at the memories, "being an Avenger reminded me of that too much. At least back then."

She picked up on his tone, "You were thinking about coming back?"

He shrugged, "Maybe. On and off. I would have probably resisted another few years but eventually? Yeah, I think I'd have come back."

"Steve would have made you a leader in a heartbeat," she promised, "he's always worrying about having only one Black-Ops team."

"If we get through this, if we find them and bring them back, maybe I'll come to the Tower for a bit. Try it out again."

"They'll love that," she cleared her throat and changed the subject. "It goes without saying, but for my own peace of mind- I only kill enemies. Things are going to get ugly- between us and the Avengers, between the Collector and I- I don't kill friends, and I don't kill for the sake of a threat. The Collector doesn't know that, but you need to. If- if..."

Bucky understood, "If Sam's team got there first I promise I have no intention of hurting any of them... Permanently."

"Thank you."

"Aw, look at the two of you, not biting each other's heads off." Peter smiled slyly, "World peace." Bucky and Inessa both gave him _the look_.

"When we get there," she turned back towards Bucky and hesitated, "I don't know who Sam's brought with him, but I know he'll have a member of my team with him, maybe two," a shiver ran through him. _The traitor, it's a member of my team_ , "Your priority will be Marie, and I'll try to ID her for you. Most Avengers have defensive powers and offensive weapons, Marie's one of the few exceptions. She's the one who gave you those burns. You'll need to take her out of play first while I try to identify as many members of Sam's team as possible."

"Marie bad, got it." he had the feeling this was her enemy- Inessa seemed very fond of the other one, Amadeus?

"Don't kill her," Inessa reminded him once again, "if I'm every going to convince Sam I'm not the enemy then I need to keep anything _permanent_ from happening to his Avengers."

"He's only going to keep attacking."

"It's his job. He thinks what he's doing is the right thing. I won't fault him for that."

Bucky sighed and moved to attach Inessa's other guard, "I spend 70 years as Hydra and come back to fight _for_ the Avengers. I go away for five more and now I'm fighting for _and_ against them at the same time."

Inessa chuckled, "Now you know what the Civil War felt like. Fighting for and against your friends... I've never had a harder time making decisions in my life than then. Who to listen to, when to ignore them. Being stuck in the middle is hard work. And that's where we are now- between the Avengers and some new baddie."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help," he had a feeling a good portion of Inessa's initial hostility came from that, "and if I'd known Steve went that far off the rails you know I'd have high-tailed it back, right?"

Inessa nodded and stepped away from him to finish tying the guard herself, "I know."

"It can't have been easy on you either. You were still getting yourself put back together," he prompted.

"I spent six weeks at Camp Hammond- it's where we send kids or people who don't want to fight. You learn to control your abilities. The head of the camp is this shrink, Trauma- he helped a lot. I'd spend my days there and my nights working with the others as the Shadow." She was smiling at the memories. It was the first time he'd seen such a genuine expression on her face- other than rage and pain that is.

Peter chuckled, "Should I leave you two alone?" if he only had popcorn he'd be totally ready to watch them for a while more.

"Go to hell," Inessa's voice held no venom, but she went over and lightly punched Peter's arm," When we get to the Collector's Vault, I'd appreciate it if you would find a ship for Bucky and I and program in Berny's coordinates."

"You cutting us loose? The deal was we take you as far as Berny's."

"And Asgard knows you helped us," Inessa countered, "I'm not willing to risk your team getting on the wrong side of the Counsel of Yggdrasil. Got it? Up to now you can say you didn't know- you answered an S.O.S. from me saying Sam went dark, came to meet me, then when you found out the truth I held your crew hostage. You waited until we got off the ship at the Collector's Vault, managed to free yourselves, and high-tailed it out of there. Hell Peter, tell them we're going to Berny's next. Offer to help Sam hunt me- do whatever it takes to get out of this cleanly."

Peter shook his head, but he couldn't form his argument. He barely knew Inessa- he barely knew most Avengers, honestly. That didn't change the fact that she was still a friend. He wanted to help, but he didn't want to risk Groot, Rocket, Drax, or Gamora getting caught up in something either. They'd need to decide their next move as a team.

"I've got payment for the job," Inessa pulled out two black drives from her cargo pants, "I'll give it to Rocket."

"How much is it?" They'd never discussed payment.

"Everything."

Peter's jaw dropped- literally, "Are you kidding me?"

"You've risked a lot, you all deserve it. Besides- if you'd just asked Tony would have given it all to you anyways." She walked off the bridge without another word.

"The Avengers pay you for your help?" Bucky was starting to think of the Guardians as less of an Avengers unit and more along the lines of mercenary squad. He wasn't up-to-date much on currency forms, but those looked like hard drives, not money. Unless there was some galactic form they used that he didn't know.

Peter nodded, still stunned, "Movies and music. They pay us in movies and music…"

Bucky understood then- they _were_ hard drives, "The Avengers media library."

He nodded, "Every movie, television show, and album ever digitized," his voice was reverent.

"You look like you're going to cry."

"I might."

* * *

"OK everyone, buckle up for landing," Rocket cradled the hard drives lovingly as they all took their seats on the bridge. Bucky glanced over at Inessa as she sat down. It took a bit, but eventually he realized that when he'd asked her if she was alright on anti-venom her immediate response was to change the topic- and just keep changing it.

She buckled the safety belt on the fourth try. Inessa flexed her right hand and held it flat just above the arm rest. If he wasn't looking for it he wouldn't have noticed her hand wasn't touching the chair. It shook and twitched slightly. Inessa immediately set it on the rest and flexed it a few more times. Had she lied to Peter? How much trouble was she in really? Her reluctance to scout with Nadya suddenly made sense- it was possible using her powers would speed up the effects of the venom.

His heart hammered uncomfortably. On the one hand, he knew from experience the venom wouldn't kill her (at least it hadn't in the several months she'd been poisoned before Simmons created the cure), on the other hand he still had nightmares once in a blue moon of running through the fields on Clint's farm carrying her as they phased in and out of the Valley. Fear had brought them back when he thought they'd be trapped for good. This Inessa didn't look like she frightened as easily.

"Sam's here," she said suddenly. Bucky felt like he'd been doused with icy water. He was going to have to fight again- _really_ fight. Would the Winter Soldier stay dead?

"How can you tell?"

Inessa pointed out the windshield at the massive silver space station- a city floating among the stars. A central hanger was open and inviting near the base of the station, but it looked mostly empty. Few lights shone in the structure, but it seemed to emit its own glow, "Remember when I told you space is bright?"

"Yes?"

"I can feel the shadow that thing is casting. It goes on for millions of miles- absolute darkness." Inessa pointed at a seemingly random point to the far right, "There's another shadow there. Someone's cloaked, I'm willing to be that's Sam because that's the kind of luck I've been having."

"Shit."

"I am Groot."

"What he said," Rocket was his usual over-confident self, "you focus on getting the intel, we'll make sure you've got your escape."

"And then high-tail it out of here," Bucky reminded Peter.

"And then you high-tail it outta here."

"You too, in the opposite direction," Inessa's tone was stern.

"Avengers Leaders can't command one another," Gamora reminded her, "our team will make its own decisions."

"I paid you to _go_."

"We will," Peter ended the dispute, "we're just saying if you let us, we're willing to follow."

"Look, I'm touched, really. I'm just not willing to let anyone else disappear or _die_ because of me. Got it?" She'd lost too many friends already, and the reality of the situation was that it was more likely she'd arrive at the lair of whoever took the Avengers only to find their corpses. The Guardians were barely Avengers, it was more an honorary title, and she wasn't willing to let them put themselves on the line when this was an Earth-Avengers matter.

"We'll go to Earth," Gamora leaned forward and put a hand on Peter's shoulder to stop his protest. "Is that agreeable? We will help our allies there."

"Thank you," Inessa relaxed in her seat as they angled towards the landing strip.

Peter glanced back at her and in a look conveyed what the Guardians all thought: _They're not going to survive what's coming._

* * *

In the end Inessa stood by her position and did not call Nadya. Any kind of interference with one of those frequency-emitters would stun her and risk their chances of surviving whatever ambush Sam had planned. _I know you were only trying to help Fandrel, but I really needed to be awake when we left Asgard_. She couldn't easily plan a fight without knowing which Avengers- or even how many- he'd brought. There were some who were more vocal in their distrust of her in the last weeks before the Tower exploded, Castor, Ellie, and of course Geoff, but who else would he round his team out with? Amadeus could predict every move she'd make and advise Sam around that, but his loyalty couldn't even come within a mile of being questionable. He'd follow her into the mouth of Hell itself- and had come near enough. Steve had to put Noelle on her team to have someone whose reports he could trust to tell the whole story, Amadeus wouldn't turn against her so quickly, not when there was _any_ chance it was a set up.

Marie on the other hand…

"As soon as we walk out of that hatch Sam will attack," Inessa warned Bucky, "remember, your priority is taking Marie out of play. I'll ID her for you."

"Got it. After Marie should I focus on Sam?"

"I can't say yet. There are Avengers of more immediate concern than him, but I don't know if he brought them or not. Go with your gut."

Inessa looked over at Peter, just out of sight of the main hatch, "Find a ship to program for us, something easy to fly in an emergency," he and Rocket both nodded their understanding.

"Good luck."

"Good bye," Inessa hit the button to open the back of the ship.

The hanger was empty of life, but Inessa didn't put much stock in what her eyes told her. Every Avenger was marked with Nadya's venom, it was for their own security. While most Avengers removed their marks (just as Bucky had) before the Tower even exploded, not all of them _could_ be removed- unless the Avenger was killed. Inessa felt Amadeus on the hidden ship, but she also felt Geoff nearby. His religion forbade tattoos, but he'd consented to have his sternum marked- right into the bone. It was rare enough that an Avenger chose that particular route, but she was grateful for it now. If Geoff was on the platform the others might be as well…

Bucky held one Asgardian blade, but he kept the other sheathed, hopeful he wouldn't need to draw it. He took up the rear as they made their way towards the center of the hanger floor. Inessa stopped abruptly and immediately began to scan the hulking ships around them for signs of motion. It was the perfect spot for an ambush.

"We both know I can see Geoff, there's no point in hiding!"

"Yeah, I know," Sam's voice echoed around them, "but do you know who else is here? No? Uh-oh, that makes this difficult for you. What about how many of us there are? Don't know that either? Oh Nessie, I think you might be in trouble…"

"Marie?" Inessa ignored him and called out, "I've got something to say to you! Are you listening?"

"What's that, an apology?" Marie snapped from behind a jet on their right, "It's a bit late for apologies you _little bitch_!"

Inessa glanced to the side, "I know what you are!"

Marie jumped up onto the wing of one of the ships, guns out, "CALL ME A TRAITOR ONE MORE TIME, I DARE YOU!"

She smiled, "Bucky, you got that?"

"Oh yeah."

"Training time everyone! I've got a few lessons for you all!" Inessa called out, "One: Don't corner a wolf. Two: Don't give your prey time to speak. Three: Don't give away your presence before the attack, _Marie_ ," Bucky spun and flung his blade straight at the girl's head. Before she could react the hilt slammed her between the eyes and sent her flying off the wing of plane and into the hanger wall behind. He'd hit her a bit _too_ hard. "And finally, four," Inessa grabbed the air a foot in front of her eye, but her hand didn't close all the way. She lashed out with her other hand, striking at something just under her other fist. There was a choking cough and suddenly an Indian man was in front of her holding his throat and struggling to breathe. Inessa had his wrist locked in her grip and a long knife was an inch from her eye, "four is that you shouldn't have trusted me to _not_ water down the anti-venom." Inessa wrenched his arm to the side and pulled Raj closer, using him as a shield against Sam somewhere ahead of her. She landed a kick to his stomach and when the man folded Inessa brought her knee up into his nose, breaking it. With one solid punch she knocked him out.

"Two down. Your move next." Bucky was still behind her, still waiting for anything that gave away Sam's location or the other Avengers. He felt a soft shudder on the floor behind him and ducked as Maya fired. The bullet barely nicked Inessa's shoulder. She dove to the side, towards Marie's unconscious body, and dove behind the jet for cover. Inessa retrieved the dagger and closed her eyes, concentrating with all her might.

She'd felt Raj only because of his proximity, it was the real reason she stopped. She closed her eyes and threw every ounce of energy she had behind detecting the marks on each Avenger. Geoff and Bucky were lit up like blinding pillars of light behind her eyelids, but she could only _just_ see a low fog over the entire hanger. It wasn't helpful, she _had_ to know.

Inessa didn't notice Travis sneaking up behind her until it was too late. He jammed a needle into her chest and delivered an overdose of caffeine straight into her heart, "From Amadeus," he whispered softly in her ear, then chuckled and stood up straight, "Oh wait. He told me to give you anti-venom. Ha! Silly me, I must have grabbed the wrong vial." He glanced at the empty syringe in his hand, "Hum, a dose this size… Last time I gave you one of those you were on dialysis for a month and almost pulled yourself out of that body. I wonder how well you'll do out here, where there's no one to save you?"

"Don't forget," Inessa planted her palms on the deck and kicked up with her back legs. She slammed both of them into Travis' knees behind her and suppressed her guilt when she heard twin _pops_ as the kneecaps shattered, "it makes me stronger first."

Travis screamed and dropped. Inessa suddenly saw the Avengers marks _too_ clearly. Her heart hammered and her pulse raced. Every shadow cried out to her mind and for a brief second she could see from every corner of the building at once. Each room, each vault, even Amadeus locked in the brig of the ship above. He looked up to meet the silver eyes gaping from the shadows in each corner, "INESSA NO!"

Bucky felt like he'd been thrown into a freezer. He dodged a swing from Maya only to step into the path of some kind of beam of fiery light. His arm shattered the beam and three ships exploded around them. The metal glowed with a golden light and he punched Maya hard in the thigh. His caution was rewarded- her leg nearly blew off. If he'd aimed for her head or chest… Bucky sincerely hoped Sam brought a healer or two with him.

He dropped Maya and turned towards the source of the light. The way his vibranium arm absorbed the force and split it- it behaved like Mjolnir. He saw a blond woman hovering in the air above him holding a golden great sword- a claymore. She was glowing with energy. He couldn't reach her at that height, so he turned away and busied himself finding Inessa and dodging the swings of the blade.

Bucky skid behind the remains of the jet Inessa had run to and found her gasping for air. Travis was behind her, still screaming, and Bucky knocked him out with a savage punch. In Inessa's hands were his knife and the same kind of long metallic object Loki had used to lock Inessa's powers away. He took the knife from her hand quickly as she began to convulse and put a hand on her back. She was bleeding shadows, as she always had when using her powers for anything too big. The shadows around her arms were a bit _too_ dense though.

"Nessie? NESSIE!" He grabbed the metallic object and turned Inessa's face towards him. A section of pitch-black shadow snaked up the back of her neck and touched his hand. It was like grabbing dry-ice. He screamed and pulled away, then twisted the device to activate it, "Please let this work!"

A spray of bullets almost took both of them out. He barely got his arm up in time to block most of them. Inessa's shadow-armor vanished as soon as the device activated and she spun around. Her eyes were wild- and entirely silver. It was no longer just the iris. Inessa stood slowly and looked up at Kelsey and Sam above them. He quickly reloaded and aimed straight for her face, snarling.

"There are three more. Three o'clock, four o'clock, nine o'clock. The ship third on the right, second level, from Peter's- Rocket is there. We have to hurry. We have to leave." Her voice was soft, emotionless. She didn't blink.

"What about the Collector?" he wasn't entirely sure she was in her right mind at the moment- or in her mind at all.

"He's dead." She could see his corpse in one of the vaults, rotting away, "He's been dead since before they were taken. We have to hurry, _now_. Bring the device."

Bucky dove out from under the jet and rolled to avoid any of Sam's bullets. Inessa stood and held a hand in front of her. Something hard and black formed from her hand. Every bullet Sam fired at her vanished into the shadow. He hesitated, the device was on. He _saw_ Bucky turn it on. How was she still using her powers? Travis fired two doses of pure caffeine straight into her heart. She should have died. She shouldn't-

Inessa lowered her hand as Kelsey swung. Another shield of dark energy formed between then and absorbed the magic of the Lionheart's blade. Inessa held up another hand and clenched it into a fist. Sam's wing unit crackled, then abruptly died as she crushed the internal mechanics. He dropped from the sky and hit the deck hard. Kelsey's ability to fly was innate- she wasn't afraid of Inessa. She dove straight for her, twisting around the block of dense shadows beside her. Whatever was going on with her former ally didn't matter- only that she appeared to be moving a hell of a lot slower, and Kelsey was prepared to push that advantage.

Another wave of darkness flared up and Kelsey narrowly missed skewering Amadeus with the sword- or releasing a blast of energy that could have torn the ship apart and killed both of them. She screamed her frustration and tried to dive back into the shadow she'd come out of, but it was closed behind her. Just in case, Amadeus tackled her and used the blanket Sam had given him to snare her sword while he wrapped his arms and legs around her, pinning her arms back and her legs down. He couldn't knock her out, and he couldn't hold her for long, but it gave Inessa more time. He knew what it meant- the ice burning in his mark, the silver eyes in no less than _three_ shadows of his room- he knew what Travis did, and it scared him to death.

Bucky liked Castor's style, personally. He was a fighter almost equal to Natasha, _almost_. Luckily he wasn't a super soldier and therefore wasn't anywhere near as fast as Bucky. He slammed a fist into the Avenger's stomach, winding him as well as breaking a rib. Castor responded by bruising one of Bucky's. He wrapped an arm around the boy's neck and spun him into the side of a ship hard enough to break several bones in his face and knock him out.

Sam's team was good, but they'd never fought together like this. Sparring yes, fighting an army of bad guys- probably. But they didn't know how to fight against one enemy. They were waiting their turns, not attacking en masse as they were supposed to. Of course, they wouldn't _have_ to if not for Inessa. How long had she been planning the abduction of the Avengers? How many innocent people died while _she_ pretended to be hunting Hydra agents? What was he even doing helping someone like that? Someone so cruel, so heartless. She said it herself- the Winter Soldier was the one who tortured her, not Bucky Barnes. So what did he owe her that he didn't owe to Steve's memory? Killing his killer was the way to honor him, it was the only way to-

Bucky picked up a metal bar- something from one of the exploded ships, and swung it hard at Ellie's head. She went down easily, "Fucking psychics," he threw the bar at her body and dodged. He didn't notice anyone on his left side, but it was turning out to be one of those days- dodge and someone will appear who makes you glad you moved first.

This time it was Geoff. The boy fired, then vanished and reappeared behind Bucky to fire again. He moved faster than Bucky could follow and it took all of his concentration to keep the fight moving and avoid getting shot anywhere other than his protected metal arm. Bucky and Geoff danced around the platform (at one point passing close enough to a dazed Sam that Bucky kicked him in the nose) in their fight. Inessa was headed for the ship and he needed to get there before she left without him.

He remembered something as he twisted away from another attack- on Clint's farm, when Inessa was sparring with Natasha for the first time- she'd spun around Natasha, just as Geoff was doing to him now. Natasha said it was a move she'd learned to use in time with her abilities (again, just as Geoff was doing), but without them it was slow going. If Geoff's abilities lined up so closely with Inessa's then maybe-

Bucky spun in a circle abruptly, using the device as a rod to extend his range and whip around him. Geoff didn't appear in its path as Bucky had hoped- it was even better. He appeared in the same space the device occupied. Geoff vanished before Bucky could register the stop, but when he reappeared a few feet away he swayed and looked down. There was a large hole in his lower abdomen. Geoff stared at the blood for a long time, then fell to his knees.

Instead of finishing off the boy, Bucky turned and ran for Inessa. She was already stepping into the back of the ship, but her count of the opponents was off. Another one, a man, had Rocket by the throat and was slamming his face into the floor of the ship. There was an eruption of shadows and Rocket vanished. Bucky dove around Inessa and crushed the man's hand in his metal one. Eoin shouted, enraged. Bucky pulled back to knock him out but a second later Eoin vanished. His scream of rage and pain echoed up from the platform.

The door to the ship closed and Inessa headed further in, towards the control panel. Hopefully Rocket had time to program the damn thing. There was a sticky note on a massive array of buttons with a simple arrow drawn to a green one. Inessa gently pushed it and the ship lurched to life. Bucky was thrown back against a wall as they took off. He still had the device in his hand, but Inessa's powers were still working. He had a feeling it wasn't another case of the frequency being miss-handled. Whatever happened between her and the man behind the jet, she was _very_ off.

Inessa sat down and let her head hang for a moment. The bridge of the ship grew bright and brighter as she absorbed more and more of the shadows. She opened her mouth in a small gasp and without warning Bucky was on the other side of the wall, just outside of the threshold. He scrambled to his knees and crawled forward as the doors closed. Just before they sealed off the bridge there was a violent howling of wind and groaning of metal, then Inessa exploded in a wave of shadows.

* * *

"FUCK!" Sam screamed as the ship launched. The ambush was a disaster, and what's more- Inessa seemed to be surviving Travis' overdose- the only offensive move the man knew. He wasn't there to help kill Inessa, he was there to keep them alive, but still- he should have brought _poison_ at least, not Banner's old medical bag! "He _told_ Amadeus he intended Inessa to get away, he didn't actually mean it though! Sam wiped the blood and tears out of his eyes- an involuntary side effect of having his nose shattered but that fucking asshole Barnes. He saw Eoin nearby, already working on Maya and Geoff. At least someone knew their place.

CALDER, CALL AHEAD TO BERNY AND TELL HIM TO HAVE TONY'S WEAPON READY!" he snapped into his comms. They kept the Asgardians on the ship in case Bucky and Inessa tried to take that, but now he was regretting the move.

"Next time we fight too." Calder's voice was cold, furious.

They'd stopped Inessa from getting whatever the hell it was she wanted from the Collector- though Sam had expected the man to make an appearance by now. Now it was going to be up to Berny to kill the bitch.

 _"Tony, this machine is incredible! Why haven't you shown it to the others yet?" he remembered asking long ago._

 _"Because it doesn't work," Tony had been in the process of packing it up for storage when Sam had seen it. He nailed the door to the crate shut and signaled JARVIS to lock it down. It would be transferred to his remote facility, the most secure of all Avengers buildings, "I made it to help Inessa."_

 _"So what's it do instead?"_

 _Tony had sighed and steered him out of the room to give JARVIS and the suits room to work, "It corrects the photon anomaly that the Shadows give off."_

 _"What does that mean for Inessa?"_

 _"It means it'll rip her out of that body and pull her apart. No more Shadows. No more Loch Nessa. No more Valley. I wanted to help, but instead I made an execution block. She can't know this exists, and neither can the others."_

 _"Why not just destroy it?"_

 _At his question Tony had hesitated long enough to be concerning, "Because I'm not sure we_ won't _need it one day_."


	21. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: 1,143 Days Before the Explosion**

Sam wandered aimlessly around the new facility under Clint's farm. It was their new home base, after the Tower-

… after the Tower.

It still didn't feel real. Thanos was out there with the Infinity Gauntlet, raining havoc down on the people and they were here- not doing anything. Waiting for inspiration to strike and some way to defeat him to present itself. He'd barely seen Inessa since the disastrous sneak-attack. Steve was out there somewhere with his Secret Avengers, underground and in hiding. He'd taken Eoin O'Meara with him. The man who betrayed nine Avengers to their deaths. Including Inessa's best friend.

Natasha and Clint were with Steve trying to negotiate an end to his war with Tony and train his new Avengers, but the rest of the team was still here. They just refused to look at one another. People dying. The Avengers hiding. Even Coulson and his SHIELD teams were in-house, but the hallways were empty.

Sam saw some light ahead coming from under a door. He went over and slid it open. Tony was messing around with some sort of black gun-like object. Stark working on a weapon? Things might finally be turning around, "Anything I should be excited about?"

Tony's shoulders were slumped and at Sam's question he just hung his head slightly and kept working on disconnecting the weapon's power supply, "No. Another failed experiment."

"What was it supposed to do?"

"Ideally? It boosts Inessa's powers ten-fold, maybe more. She would be able to control her pack _and_ fight as the Shadow in the middle of the day- even at the same time! It would turn the tide against that son of a bitch Thanos…"

"Tony, this machine is incredible! Why haven't you shown it to the others yet?" Sam's heart soared at the possibility. Thanos- dead! They could save everyone!

"Because it doesn't work," Tony finished detaching the power supply and set the gun in a large wooden crate. He nailed it shut then signaled JARVIS to finish locking it down. It was going to be transferred to his remote facility, the most secure of all Avengers buildings, "I made it to _help_ Inessa."

"So what's it do instead?"

Tony sighed, defeated, and steered Sam out of the doorway and clear of the room to give Dum-E and JARVIS space to work, "It corrects the photon anomalies that the Shadows give off."

"What does that mean for Inessa?" _Correcting_ the anomalies was the opposite of what Stark was trying to do, he needed to _enhance_ them somehow.

"It means it'll rip her out of that body and pull her apart. No more shadows. No more Loch Nessa. No more Valley. I wanted to help her, but instead I made an execution block. She can't know this exists, and neither can the others."

"Why not just destroy it?" A shiver crept down Sam's spine.

Tony's hesitation was long enough to worry Sam, "Because I'm not sure we _won't_ need it one day."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam snapped, instantly on the defensive.

"It means- I don't know what it means," Tony rubbed at his eyes. This fight was taking a toll on him, he couldn't even think of anything sarcastic to say. Not that he could ever know- but any demands Cap made for his return to the Avengers, even if it included painting the Iron Man suit bright pink and putting a fucking Hello Kitty head on it, Tony would have to accept. They needed Steve's team, and any term he wanted to set Tony was willing to agree to.

"It means you're thinking about what Bucky told us, right? About the Tower destroyed and her killing us?"

Stark stopped in the middle of the hallway, "Look around, Sam. The Tower _is_ destroyed, and Inessa's just about ready to kill us for locking Eoin down instead of shooting him in the face like he deserves. Bucky said she was older, just not by much. Maybe this is what he saw… I'll die before I use it against her, you know she's like the daughter I never had, I couldn't do anything to hurt her. I'm just giving the rest of you the option."

"Well I, for one, trust her," Sam's snapping reply was angrier than he'd intended, "I'm not going to turn on her. Not ever."

* * *

 **Three Years Later: 56 Days Before the Explosion**

"Come on, open your eyes. Just a little? We need to see them," Amadeus was prying at Inessa's eyelids, but impossibly they refused to budge. He gave up (like every Avenger before him _including_ Steve) and looked over to Travis, "What the hell man?"

The other Avenger shook his head and shrugged, "All I can tell you is she isn't in any pain beyond what you'd expect. And before you even ask- I already tried and she isn't responding to fresh pain."

Amadeus made a face and lightly kicked the leg of the hospital bed, "I'm going back to pacing somewhere dark. See if I can get her attention."

"You really think that works?"

"According to Steve that's how she got Bucky to hunt down her body when she was the Shadow."

Travis rubbed at the back of his neck, "I should have stopped it sooner," he'd been beating himself over that one for four days.

"She was right though. We _were_ under attack. We just don't know who played which part. _She_ might know…"

"You still think there's a second Shadow?"

Amadeus had confided his theory to his best friend shortly after the Leader's meeting, "It wasn't Nessie, so there _has_ to be. A second Shadow explains the disappearances _and_ the bomber's eyes."

"So does an Enchanter. Can anyone _prove_ Thor's brother really died? Maybe he did this. Maybe the blood magic is bogus… Or maybe it's responsible."

"What-"

"We can't give Nessa a free pass just because she's Nessa. Until we know for sure one way or another we have to be on guard…"

"You two are boring," a low mumble made Amadeus whip around. Inessa groaned and slowly moved a hand up over her eyes. Travis immediately went into Doctor Mode.

"Put your hand down and take it easy. Can you open your eyes for me Nessie?"

"No."

Travis glanced back at Amadeus, concerned, "Can't or don't want to?"

"Can't," Inessa grumbled, "because there's a big, bright light pointed at my face right now."

Amadeus looked around, "There isn't Inessa, I promise." The medical room was dark, emergency lights only. It was Travis' idea to pull her back- if she'd somehow lost her footing in the body.

"What do you mean 'no'? What's pointed at my face? Turn it off." Her voice was a little stronger but her throat was too dry. She began to cough and Travis quickly used a straw to drop just a little water in her mouth to wet her throat.

He put a hand over her eyes, "Still bright?"

Inessa jerked her head back, "Are you wearing Tony's gloves or something?" her temper was rising. Amadeus abruptly remembered his leader was _not_ a morning person.

Whatever she was seeing it felt like she was staring at the sun. Her whole body felt tense, on a wire, and her eyes burned. Inessa tried to _force_ them open. She thought she saw a flash of red, maybe something flame-like, but it was just _too_ bright. She shoved Travis' hand away weakly and covered her eyes again. It hurt so much- everything burned. Inessa folded her knees towards her chest and rolled onto her side, but the pain only kept building.

"Hold on," Amadeus quickly ran for the light controls and, rather than darkening the room, he blasted the lights to maximum power. Now he and Travis were the blind ones.

Inessa let out her breath in a hiss and relaxed immediately. The blinding pressure was gone, as was the pain in her body. Well, most of it. She preferred feeling like she'd been run over to being set on fire… Again. Just because she'd refused to let ages 14-16 define her didn't mean she'd forgotten what it felt like.

Travis had to keep his eyes shaded, but he went over to Inessa, "I'm betting it's like after one of Romanov's training sessions. You strain the muscles, in this case your abilities, and it makes moving hurt. You'll probably be photosensitive for a while, just not in the normal way… Can you open your eyes for us now?" Travis wasn't even sure it was possible.

Inessa stayed on her side, afraid to move too much, but she did open her eyes. The room was so dark, she could barely see Travis leaning over her. Why was he shading his eyes? "Don't be sarcastic, jerks," she mumbled, "You can turn the lights on more. Don't tease the sick."

"We'll play around with the lights later and figure out a good setting," Travis' face was pale, not that Inessa could tell. He tapped his comms, "All Avengers Leaders to medical," he announced over the PA, "Repeat: All Leader's to medical."

"They're going to need to be able to see," she pointed out.

"Inessa, this room can't _get_ any brighter. We've got the lights up _beyond_ normal."

"Then why can I barely see you?" She was getting increasingly frustrated.

Travis tried to look at her eyes again, but he couldn't see anything, "Maybe because your eyes are silver."

"My eyes are _always_ silver."

"Not like this," Inessa had no iris and no pupil. Her _eyes_ were silver. Ever last bit of them.

* * *

"Couldn't wait for Halloween, huh? Had to get started early?" Tony was holding some sort of magnifier over her eyes and shining as much light in as he dared. He could _just_ make out the edge of what might be an iris- but it was possible he was imagining it. Inessa still could barely tell there was a light in her eye.

The first thing they tried was dimming the lights to find a balance between blind and bright, but it didn't seem to work. Darkness physically hurt her eyes, but she could see just as little. Too much light, on the other hand, risked permanent damage. Banner and the others were hoping it was just temporary- like how each of them had been blind to light after the first Shadow attacks, only in reverse this time.

"Travis, can you describe the black stuff again?" Inessa asked, "How it started and what it felt like?"

"Like grabbing dry-ice with bare hands," he responded immediately, "I thought it took skin off at first. It started on your forearms, where the mist begins. By the time we got you in the light it was all the way up to your neck."

"Under the clothes or over?"

"Under, but seeping through."

"The mark on your arm? Did every Avenger have the same experience?"

Natasha took over, "Yes. It felt like my skin was freezing. It hurt, but not terribly so."

Inessa nodded, "Are Geoff, Yousef, and Muhammad alright?" Those three Avengers- two Jewish and one Muslim- were the most strict in their religious beliefs and as such could not be marked with Nadya's venom like the others. After receiving special dispensation from their religious leaders their markings were etched into the underside of their sternums. If the marks went cold so close to their heart and lungs it could be dangerous.

"They're fine, Nessie. Geoff grabbed them and the three waited it out in a hot tub. They were grouchy, wet, and the others won't stop teasing them for taking a swim during a scramble order, but they'll be fine." Wanda reassured her friend.

Steve was leaning against the door with his arms crossed, "Travis, can you give us the room for a second?"

Before the Doctor could leave Banner stopped him and nodded for him to continue his examination of Inessa's vital signs, "As my lieutenant and Inessa's primary physician he already knows what she is Steve. Nessie gave me permission to tell him after the last time she overdid it."

"Tanks for keeping me in the loop _three years_ later," Steve's voice held a warning tone. "Inessa, if the mist you bleed _is_ you, what might the armor have been? Did you dislodge? Is that why your eyes aren't working properly- are you losing control over that body?"

It was a bit blunt on his part, but they needed to know. The idea terrified all of them- Inessa especially. No one knew what kept the Shadow in the human body, but if they lost Inessa would it become permanent? He was angry with her, yes, but not for the reason the others suspected. She'd almost ripped herself out of her host. It was a stupid risk that came dangerously close to costing them a friend, and Inessa was as close to being family as any of them had. He was scared, to put it simply.

Inessa closed her eyes despite Tony's continued examination and concentrated, "I don't _feel_ different, but I can't say for sure. Everything hurts. I think I'm all here though." She listened to the Avengers shifting in the room, "Clint, how many people went missing?"

"How do you know about that?"

"The Tweedle Twins," she used her old nickname for Amadeus and Travis, "they said there were disappearances, and something about the bomber's eyes."

Clint looked at the others for guidance, but no one met his eyes, "More than four thousand missing. No common ethnicity, religion, race, sex, nationality, economic status, or geographic similarities other than Manhattan. And the shooter had black eyes, like someone possessed by a Shadow."

A thought came to Inessa suddenly, a flash of a memory, "He smelled like death. Like something rotting."

Tony leaned back and frowned, "Do you think he was dead before he shot up the park?"

"I can't say for sure, I caught half a whiff before he blew. Did you ID him? If we can look around his place maybe we can get answers."

"We have not identified the shooter as of yet, but JARVIS and I are working together to try and locate footage which might include his face." Vision shrugged, "So far I am not pleased to report we have made little progress."

Banner's brow furrowed. His eyes darted around the room as if reading something only he could see, "Inessa," he spoke slowly, as if the idea were still forming, "before he left Bucky had a vision that _may_ suggest the existence of another person with abilities similar to yours," he glanced up at Steve who was _livid_. It was one of the highest rules among the Leaders- _never_ tell Inessa about Bucky's visions, "It may even be a- a twin to the body you're in."

"Dimitri never mentioned even a chance of a sibling, and he was so drunk most of the time I don't think he'd have been able to keep it a secret." She wasn't about to tell them she'd had the vision too. Not when things were starting to work against her.

"It doesn't matter how he kept it a secret or even if it's a true twin," Banner dismissed it, "the point is- Thanos' minion, Sebastian Morris, he wanted to take you to join Thanos as much as he wanted us dead. If he found a second Shadow-"he wasn't sure how to complete the thought.

But Natasha was, "-then Thanos would have made them one of his Children. You think the Shadow King's name was no coincidence?"

"Maybe it's a challenge," Banner suggested, "Calling out the Shadow Queen," he nodded to Inessa (she didn't need to be able to see him to know what he was doing there.

"He casts blood magic to either control you or let him control things _around_ you," Steve suggested, "and the first battles in Midgard begin. People missing, a casualty count in Indonesia, it does _feel_ like the beginning of Thanos' attack."

Inessa's mind wandered down a different path, "The Shadow King isn't an equal, he's a distraction… Thor?"

"Yes, Lady Ryker?" he used Fandrel's nickname for her.

"I need your advice on inter-Realm battle."

"I will do my best to answer your questions."

Inessa took a deep breath, "Thanos' attack didn't come out of the blue, not when we looked back. Loki and the Chit'auri were the advanced scout to test our defenses. Sebastian Morris tried to eliminate those defenses and recruit a weapon of his own while he was at it. We found the Mind-Stone and Ultron set it in Vision, which probably moved up Thanos' plans and that's why he's the one who showed up next."

"This is all true."

"So what's missing?"

"How do you mean?" Sam was curious now.

Amadeus caught on, "The scout, the vanguard, the conquering King. Thanos missed a step."

"In war, if we hadn't found the Mind-Stone and accelerated his plans, what would Thanos have done between Morris and his own arrival? Would he have sent anyone else?"

Thor nodded, "In the wars after the destruction of the Bifrost I would send Fandrel and Volstagg in as the scout, Lady Sif and Hogunn as my vanguard, then I would arrive and afterwards, if it was a particularly triumphant battle, the leader of the realm might arrive. You may call them a conquering king."

"And what's your title?"

"Warlord."

His words had a profound effect on the room- it went silent for a good minute. Even Travis stopped his work with a tremor in his hands, "So our choices of villain are two children of Thanos- one a Shadow King, the other a Warlord?" Steve didn't list the third choice, the one the older Avengers in the room were thinking of- Bucky's vision. _Inessa_ killing the Avengers. The Shadow King's top-secret blood magic, as he'd suggested, might give him the ability to control Inessa. Was the person on the bed before them even the same girl, or had the other Shadow taken her place already?

"Thanos was bad," Inessa was shaken a bit, "Loki was bad. Morris would have been catastrophic if he'd let Cul Borson off his leash and Thanos called him a weakling when he came to Earth… So what kind of monster would he make his Warlord?"

Steve glanced at all the Avengers huddled around, "Not a word of this leaves the room, got it?" He didn't move on until Travis and Amadeus both nodded, "Speaking of leaving the room- I need to talk to Inessa about something. Privately."

"What's up your butt, Captain Tightpants? We can all discuss everything, right?" Tony hated being kept out of the loop.

"Out. Now, please," he put on his 'Bossy Voice' as Tony called it and nodded to the door, "Every last one of you. I'll fill you in over dinner."

As soon as the door closed behind (a glowering) Tony, Inessa played her role, "Did Bucky Barnes leave because of whatever he thinks he saw me do in some vision?"

Steve shook his head and came to sit on the foot of her bed, "Buck left to get his head on straight. Where do you think I got the idea?"

"You didn't have a choice," Inessa reminded him. "The rest of us made that decision for you."

"And I'm grateful," he wasn't rising to her combative tone, "that's why I'm apologizing to you now."

Inessa frowned, "Apologizing?" This wasn't going the way she thought it would.

"Yep, apologizing. I'm sorry, Nessa. You weren't even eighteen yet when I made you Shadow Unit leader and you were what- late sixteen, early seventeen when you started fighting with Mallory? I'm sorry for that. For my role in turning your life into this bloodbath."

This _really_ wasn't going where she thought it would be, "OK, my PTSD has nothing to do with the work I do, you know that, right? Ask Trauma."

"I know, I know," Steve patted her foot lightly, "what I'm trying to say is that I've asked too much of you for too long. You went to college, got a degree, all while fighting for the Avengers. You'd spend your days either in class or working with your team and your nights training and studying."

"Yeah, I _graduated_ , like four months ago. Done. Now I get to focus on being an Avenger full-time." Inessa squinted in the darkness to try and see Steve better. She was shit at reading people's voices (Natasha's talent). She needed to see their eyes. She couldn't see- in any sense- what he was getting at.

Steve sighed, "It doesn't change the fact that we owe you for everything we asked you to do. Amadeus has done a brilliant job training Marie and getting her up to snuff-"

"-OK, I'm sorry I haven't worked much with the newbie, but we've done _some_ stuff. Minor investigations, infiltrations- not a lot but in case you didn't notice we've been rather busy-"

"That's what I'm talking about. Exactly. We know now this isn't an ordinary case. If there is Thanos-sized mayhem heading our way then we need to be ahead of it before it starts… I want to make Amadeus a Leader. I want to finish what we started during the Infinity War and I want to give you a second Black-Ops Unit. You take Noelle, he takes Marie. Everyone knows there's a Black Ops team anyways, a second will come as no surprise, and it just rounds out the Avengers. We'll get SHIELD's Gifted team to come in as support until he gets his feet under him, then you can focus on what you're focusing on and he can take care of the day-to-day cases here. Once whatever's coming has come and gone then you two will go into the same rotation the rest of us do."

Inessa's heart sank and the more Steve spoke the colder she felt. Something warm ran down her cheek- a tear? "A vote of no-confidence."

"What?" he barely heard her.

"You're giving me a vote of no-confidence. And what's worse- you're telling the _world_ that you don't trust me anymore." She turned away- even seeing his outline was too much.

"Inessa, that's not it at all," Steve insisted, though he hated to admit even to himself she _was_ correct. "We've been relying on you too much. What you do would normally be done by two units anyways, why not-"

"What I do? What I do half the time is _find_ work for us to do! There's no need for a second Black Ops Unit and you know it!" she shouted, hurt, "The world already knows your tame little _monster_ runs the Unit, and now after two disasters you're putting me on _Tower-duty_ and giving them a new Unit? Don't even think about me, what kind of _threat_ you think I am, think about the message that sends to our enemies! You don't trust the Shadow anymore!"

"IS IT ANY WONDER?!" Steve threw his hands in the air and stood, "THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE DEAD. FOUR THOUSAND MISSING. YOU MISSED BOTH BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T DOING YOUR _JOB_."

"INDONESIA HAPPENED BECAUSE-"of a traitor? She somehow couldn't even bring herself to add _that_ dimension to this yet. He'd just turn it against her, "-BECAUSE I WAS OFF-WORLD. I _COULDN'T_ STOP IT. AND THE MISSING? IN CASE YOU DIDN'T NOTICE I WAS A BIT IN-DESPOSED DURING THAT WHOLE THING!"

"I KNOW! I know," Steve tried to deescalate the situation, "That's why I'm _thinking_ about a second team! We can't rely solely on you. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. You aren't the end-all-be-all of our defenses. If you're off-world or unconscious, you need backup-"

"That's what my _team_ is for!"

"And now it's what a _second_ team might be for."

Inessa fixed him with her coldest glare, " _Any_ other time I might believe that. But right now? Right now you're just scrambling to justify a bad decision. You don't trust me."

"I don't trust whatever the Shadow King did to you," Steve agreed, "or what his plans moving forward might be." Inessa opened her mouth to reply but Steve held up a hand, "I'm done discussing this with you. After I talk to the other Leaders _we_ will make a decision."

"And Amadeus will commit ritual suicide," she reminded him as he stormed out- Amadeus' aversion to leadership roles was _infamous_. Just in case Steve needed reminding.

Inessa's lip curled into a snarl and she quickly tapped out Amadeus' code on her comms, "Yes, most favorite boss-lady _ever_ who I love and adore like a favorite sibling?" Judging by the slamming door and the stomping across the lobby from Steve, Amadeus had a feeling their discussion went _very_ badly.

"Have Geoff take you to Clint's farm. I want any intel we have on Kyle 'Crocodile' Richards left over from the Sokovia mission. Also run the most in-depth background check on Marie Richards you've ever run _in your life_. I want to know everything- every verifiable instance of her using her abilities and the same for her brother- and by 'verifiable' I mean without the other one present."

"You think Marie's the traitor?" Amadeus glanced around nervously to make sure no one heard him.

"I saw her, before I lost control. She was taking books from the Asgardian shipment while everyone else was out guarding the city. I want to know if her powers are what she says they are."

"I've seen her use them," he offered, "I can vouch."

"Have any of the _psychics_ seen it?"

"No."

"Then I can't trust that is true, I'm sorry."

Amadeus got it then, "You think she has her brother's powers- that _she's_ the psychic one?"

"I think I'm done giving the _rat_ the benefit of the doubt. Steve is turning against me thanks to Bucky Barnes' _fucking_ visions. I'm ending this bullshit. Now."


	22. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Shadows and Visions**

Bucky pounded on the door of the flight deck hard enough to put a dent in it. Without knowing the mechanics of the ship he couldn't override whatever lock Inessa put on the doors, so he continued to work at the metal until he'd managed to produce a hole and peek through onto the bridge.

Nadya lunged at the hole and Bucky jerked back. The wolf violently clawed and howled, more out of control than he'd ever seen it. He rolled over to where Inessa had deposited him and grabbed the frequency emitter, still broadcasting for all he knew. He slammed the head of it into the hole and listened. Nadya's howl turned into a whimper, but she wasn't the only dangerous creature inside.

Inessa was laying in the middle of the floor, curled into a ball. At least, it was humanoid so he _hoped_ it was her. The creature looked like the Shadow, a sort of half-human monstrosity. Strangely enough though it wasn't made up of the black mist. It was something else. Something solid.

The wolves of the Valley roamed around it snarling and snapping, yet for their fierce display not one would cross within three feet on any side of it. Even Nadya, slinking away from the door, wouldn't approach the creature directly.

"Inessa?" he called softly to the darkness, "if you're in there, just hold on. We'll get you to Berny. He'll help," but he had no idea what Berny Barton of all people could do to fix _this_ , or even if Berny was on their side or not. At this point he was in too far over his head to be choosy about his allies. He needed a miracle.

* * *

Inessa was standing in the middle of the Valley, a place she knew _so_ well, but it wasn't _her_ place. Not quite yet. There was nothing here. Yes, the Bifrost burned in the sky and yes the ruins were probably still just over the ridges, but no wolves prowled the basin. No Nadya waited for her friend to return or summon her.

Was this a vision? The Valley was so empty. So primal. It wasn't what Inessa knew it to be.

A breeze stirred the Valley, no more than a _puff_ of air. Then another. Then another. Inessa turned around and saw something trying to materialize. It was silver and gave off an unnatural energy. Inessa knew its kind- a Helius beacon. Rather than the small devices they'd reverse engineered, the beacons could have brought _armies_ into the Valley, if Hydra ever figured out how to power them.

She watched as the Helius beacon pulsed, a bit clearer each time. The breeze grew to a wind, the wind into a squall. The stronger one became the faster the other grew. A keening whine emitted from the device. Inessa covered her ears against the storm and the sound and fell to her knees to better withstand it. A loud _crack_ and a violent flash of light- then the air stilled and the mechanical screeching vanished.

A baby cried.

Her head jerked up abruptly at the noise and Inessa ran towards where the beacon had been. There were scorch marks, the rocks were blasted away, and a small baby girl was lying in the Valley. The child was naked, but protected somehow by a black mist that may very well have been part of her. Inessa tried to reach out and pick the frightened child up, but she couldn't touch it. The infant was not entirely part of the Valley yet. It was straddling the border between worlds.

Somehow the mist kept the baby alive, for a time. It was instantaneous for Inessa, but by now she knew the story. Two days, then the mother would die at long last. After that only a couple hours more before someone would seek the baby. The mist around it acted like a small pocket to the other world. Inessa watched as two hands appeared around the infant and pulled it away, back to the real world.

"Goodbye, little Nadya," she whispered.

The child kept returning, each time a little older. It always ended the same, the infant was sleeping or giggling or crying- the black mist would begin to pour from her, and then abruptly she would vanish, leaving a piece of the power behind.

She never told Mallory or any of the Avengers, but Inessa actually remembered very little before the Second Battle of New York. She had snapshots of her time as the Shadow, and glimpses of what came before, of course, but considering how much of it she _didn't_ remember the scraps she could gather were few and far between. She hadn't even known her own birthday until Mallory threw her a party with the Avengers (and she had to pretend she'd known all along).

Still, a few of the child's visits fell into the realm of what Inessa _did_ remember, enough that she was able to see a pattern. She would open a door, use her abilities, and be yanked back out- typically because Dimitri was a spiteful drunk and would turn on the lights just to fuck with her powers. Every time she was jerked back a piece of the mist remained. Over time the scraps grew more canine in appearance, and the wolf pack formed with that first sliver of mist as its leader, Nadya.

Muhammad's vision showed her a truth she'd never known. It changed very little in her quest, but that wasn't why he left it to her before her departure. He left her the only thing he could, considering the strain and dangers of the voyage she was embarking on: peace of mind. For the first time Inessa knew _exactly_ what she was…

And, without even realizing it, Muhammad's missing piece was the final one in a truly massive puzzle. More than ever she could appreciate the scope of her quest and what was waiting for her at the end of the path. The traitor was a minor issue now.

Inessa had a damned good idea of who was pulling the strings.

* * *

Bucky didn't even feel the ship land. Suddenly the back hatch was opening and Berny was charging in, armed with a black gun. His face was set in grim determination.

"Inessa didn't-"he began to explain as quickly as possible.

"I KNOW!"

"Something wr-"

"I KNOW! GET THAT DOOR OPEN!"

"Wh-"

"IT WILL HELP HER!" he snapped.

Bucky didn't need to be told twice. He began to wrench and rip at the door with even greater fervor, trying to turn that little peephole into a proper grip. He yanked it aside with his metal arm and cleared the shot for Berny. He took aim for the thing in the center of the room.

Nadya dove for the gun, snarling. There was a loud _roar_ and she instantly cowered near Bucky. He backed up a few steps. The creature was standing up. It looked _so much_ like Inessa and Nadya's Shadow. The silver eyes, rows of razor sharp fangs, disjointed arms and half-human legs- but Nadya was terrified of it, as were the other wolves.

Berny readied to fire and Bucky glanced over at him. He was so calm, so cool- and so angry. A spark in his green eyes gave the trap away, "NO!" Bucky pulled one of Fandrel's blades out and prepared to put it through his enemy's arm. The creature roared a warning and Bucky turned to face it's terrible eyes. _Inessa's eyes_. She wanted this, _needed_ this. In his mind he could hear her voice whisper for him to stop and wait.

"This is for Clint!" Berny pulled the trigger on Stark's gun. The one designed to destroy Shadows.

Arcing blue light hit the Shadow and splintered out from there to the wolves in the room. It threw its head back and roared against the pain of the blast. The wolves howled with it- yet one by one they began to vanish in explosions of darkness. The mist they left behind was sucked up by the creature as they were destroyed. Nadya alone seemed to be outside the weapon's sphere of influence, and the wolf was flattened to the floor.

The creature's black armor imploded in chunks, revealing pieces of human skin. Berny was determined to kill Inessa, and Tony's gun was working as advertised. When Sam's team arrived he would hand over the corpse of the host and Bucky ( _maybe_ alive) and all of this would finally end. Inessa was almost entirely gone now- the faintest traces of black remained over her face. She roared again and it sounded less like an animalistic howl and more of a human scream. Berny didn't stop until her silver eyes were brown and Nadya fled into the shadows.

When the light cleared Inessa fell to her knees. Bucky grabbed the gun and slammed it into Berny's head, knocking him out. He got to his friend just as she tipped forward and caught her.

"Inessa?" Bucky held her upright as she swayed and willed her to look at him, snap at him, make some snide quip or comment- anything to prove she was alright. How was he supposed to figure all of this out without her? _Without her_ … the thought sent a cold shiver down his spine, unfortunately one very unlike the shiver brought on by a Shadow. _Without Inessa_. It brought a piece of his fractured soul back, knowing he'd helped save her and that she was out of Hydra's clutches. Even when he was in hiding on the farthest end of the world just the thought of her with the Avengers was enough to ease his worries. Now he'd truly lost everything. His last friend. His Inessa.

Until then Bucky didn't realize he'd lost hope of finding Steve and the others alive. It was over a month now since they'd been taken, and Avengers weren't easy to hold. He didn't believe their deaths were on her, but apparently, without consciously making the change, he'd decided on his own that they were dead. And now so was she. His friend. His Inessa. Any hope of finding the Avengers was lost with her.

He wasn't _allowed_ to be angry with Sam, or Berny for that matter. Their part in this was different- they thought what they were doing would help people, they were being Avengers. _Marie_ however… Bucky regretted not throwing the dagger so it hit blade-first and killed her then and there. Because of that little shit traitor Inessa had lost her friend's support when it could have saved them, she'd lost Sam's allegiance, and she'd lost the rest of the Avengers. Bucky was going to snap that _creature's_ neck this time just like he had with Dennisson, skin her alive the way the Winter Soldier had Inessa, break her bones one by one just like he'd done with Dimitri Aristov.

 _No,_ Bucky's voice cut through the howling of the Winter Soldier and tempered the bloodlust, _that isn't what she wanted_. Intel- Inessa would have wanted him to finish the mission and find out who supplied the Collector with the materials to build Loki his beacons. Who was the puppet master behind everything? Follow the thread as long and as far as it would take him. His friends were all dead by now, but unlike Inessa _six_ of them had a sliver of a chance at living. He couldn't give up the hunt or Inessa would never forgive him. Worst case scenario he intended to bring home their bodies- he owed that much to Steve, Nat, Clint, Thor, Tony, and Banner. To see them back on Earth, buried by their families.

 _Then_ Marie would die. _Then_ Loki wouldn't need to _pretend_ to be a rotting corpse on a distant realm. _Then_ the Winter Soldier could have some time off his leash.

Inessa's body began to shake in his arms, then convulse. Bucky tipped her to the side, amazed, and braced her as she began to vomit silver liquid all over the floor. He grabbed her ponytail to keep the end of it out of her face and didn't let go until she was finished, "Nessie? Nessa- are you- is it you?" he was hopeful as she leaned back and breathed on her own. All of his dark thoughts fled for the moment- until he saw her eyes- vacant, void of recognition or realization and worst of all they were a light, golden brown. The Shadow, his Inessa, was gone. The host, however, Emilie and Anton's child, wasn't as dead as they'd hypothesized.

It seemed like a new, cruel twist of fate, her body still there with some intruder living in it. _No_ , he reminded himself, _Inessa was the intruder_. She was by no means as cruel or as numb, but was it any different than Hydra pouring the Winter Soldier into his body? Something this other entity couldn't stop, couldn't control? She'd have been trapped there, a bystander to her own life. _Wait- could this one know the answers_? "Can you understand me?" he tried in English, Russian, German, Sokovian, Japanese, French, and Italian- he even spelled the phrases out in the sign language alphabet he learned from watching Clint so long ago. The host barely registered his presence. She didn't seem to be able to comprehend anything.

Bucky heard the _click_ of a gun being readied behind him and froze. The barrel was right against the back of his head, "Drop her and take that arm off," Berny. He left his back turned on his enemy too long. But- Berny was after Inessa and she was gone. They weren't enemies. Not anymore.

He carefully released the girl and lowered her to the ground. As soon as she was settled he removed his metal arm and slid it far across the floor. The gun vanished and he slowly turned. Berny was grim, sad, but ready to fight if need be, "Don't kill it," Bucky was pleading as he stood, "don't kill the host."

"Why not? You think the Shadow survived that?" there was venom in Berny's voice, but not much.

"No," Bucky coughed to clear his throat, then swallowed hard. He couldn't be emotional, "I was an Avenger once. That host isn't Inessa, she doesn't deserve to be executed. That's all I meant." He was disappointed more than anything. The hope that she was still there, the desperate compromise for intel- nothing worked in his favor. Now that Berny mentioned it he'd probably _always_ be hoping she'd be able to find her way back. No matter how unfair it might be to the host.

Berny lowered the gun. He read people just as well as Inessa had, that pain written all over Bucky's face was real enough. He eyed the body, still panting from the convulsions and staring up at the ceiling of the ship as if seeing it for the first time. It was hard enough killing Inessa with Tony's gun. Before Sam told him the full story he was more than willing to help them, not hurt her. Berny's line of work wasn't bloodless, and he played villain as often as hero, but he couldn't summon the courage it would take to shoot Inessa (or her body). Not again.

"I have a cell that can hold her," he sighed, "Sam's an hour out. He'll decide. He might kill her," Berny warned, "but on his conscience be it."

Bucky nodded and adjusted his armor so he could lift Inessa comfortably. _The host_ , so he could lift _the host_ comfortably. Inessa wasn't there, and she'd never be there again. Wanda, Vision, Fandrel, Hogunn, Heimdall, Amadeus, Peter and his team- everyone counted on him to help keep Inessa alive long enough to at least find the Avengers and bring them back. He'd given his word to Wanda and her husband that he would do everything he could to see to it she survived this. He'd already let _them_ down, he couldn't let down the others. Maybe he could convince Sam to let him keep going, or to join him even. Maybe his animosity wouldn't extend to Inessa's mission, only her. Maybe they could solve this together and clear her name. Maybe- a memory overpowered Bucky suddenly.

* * *

 _"Darling little child, why do you keep doing this to yourself?" Dennisson looked over Inessa's body as Hydra physicians applied bandages to her freshly flayed shins. Her face was dripping sweat and her eyes were dazed, unfocused, her mouth hung slightly ajar. This was the middle stages of her shutdown. Roughly a year from then she'd become the Shadow and escape Dennisson once and for all._

 _The Winter Soldier stood against the wall, awaiting orders. He felt nothing for this girl- no pity, no sympathy. Why then couldn't he ease the tremor in his hands? Why was it so hard to resist cringing at the echoes of the girl's screams in his memory? His orders were to break the girl, and this time it looked like he might have actually succeeded. It looked like she was finally gone, ready for Hydra to pour their creature in to fill whatever was left, just like they did with him- over and over. Nowhere in his programming did it say he could have thoughts or opinions on what they were doing. Nowhere was it written that he was allowed to be haunted by it like this._

 _"It can stop you know," Dennisson held a spray bottle to Inessa's mouth and wet it a bit, "the torture is a lesson, but if you are obedient we can end it. Order comes from pain. You've suffered enough pain, there's no need to court more by refusing. We only want to make the world a better place. I never lied to you about that. It's just that to make the world better you have to burn a bit of it first."_

 _The water took the edge off the pain in Inessa's raw throat. She mumbled something and Dennisson leaned in, "What was that my girl? A bit louder, if you'd please."_

 _"Order… through…"_

 _"Order through pain. Yes. Say it once all the way through and I will let the doctors take away your pain so you can sleep soundly tonight."_

 _"Order… through… p-pain," a tear slid down Inessa's cheek. The Winter Soldier felt something stir, revulsion. Dennisson was winning, the girl was breaking. She was as good as gone._

 _"All the way through, in one go," he prompted._

 _"O-order… through-"_

 _"Again."_

 _"Order… order through…. Order-"_

 _"AGAIN."_

 _"Order… through pain… o-order-"_

 _"SAY IT PROPERLY!" Dennisson slammed his hand on the table next to her ear, shocking her. He was never patient._

 _The display jarred something in Inessa, brought her back even after he'd been so sure she was gone. That's how it always was with her. Right when you thought you'd broken the teenager this would happen. The Winter Soldier, despite his constant reprogramming, had a sense of what was about to happen._

 _"I can't…"_

 _"Can't what?!" Dennisson demanded, he knew this routine better than the zombie soldier in the corner._

 _"Can't… obey… don't… obey… never… obey…" her mantra, again. She'd repeat it for hours, long after the words lost all meaning and her mouth dried out to the point where she couldn't even speak. The Winter Soldier looked away from the display feigning boredom, but secretly he was just the tiniest bit relieved._

 _"Maybe tomorrow, after you've slept on it," Dennisson grumbled and grabbed a large pitcher from the doctor's tray. His special order, and a favorite to use on the teenager. They stepped back from the new bandages as he carefully soaked them in lemon juice. It would burn as long as it touched the raw wounds, no matter if she moved or held still, the stinging wouldn't stop. Another two magnificent scars to add to her growing collection._

 _The Winter Soldier's memory stirred, "'Maybe' is something fools and layabouts say to make themselves feel better'." His next scheduled reprogramming was only two days away. Still, it was good that Inessa's screams kept Dennisson from hearing his little recitation._

* * *

When Sam arrived, Bucky was sitting in a chair next to the cell the host body was in, trying not to look threatening. If he could convince Sam to let her live or help him with anything it was going to need to be done by appealing to him as an Avenger. His knives, armor, gloves, and arm were all neatly lined up on the far side of the dungeon (for lack of a better word). Inessa's armor and scythes were next to it. Still, Sam kept his hands on the guns at his hips as Berny led him over to inspect the girl.

"Look at her eyes," Clint's brother prompted, "between that and the puddle of venom in the ship I'd say Tony's gun worked as advertised."

As much as Bucky hated Berny talking about it like it was a good thing, his curiosity overpowered the distain, "It was venom?"

Berny glanced to him when Sam did not and nodded, "And her gizmo says she's at zero percent saturation. It's _never_ been lower than two percent."

"Well, I'm convinced the Shadow is out, at least."

"Does that mean you'll let her live?"

"You don't get to be part of _any_ discussions," Sam pointed at Bucky without looking, "I've got three teammates who nearly _died_ thanks to you."

"They'll be alright," Berny promised, "Eoin got to them in time, patched up the worst of it. The rest will be out of my healing room, soon enough. It's top-level, installed by Asgardians, no one will be worse for wear."

"They decide if Barnes lives or joins Inessa in oblivion. He's still an enemy agent, as far as I'm concerned."

"Sam-"

"No." Bucky could tell they'd been having this argument for a while already, "Barnes goes to the brig on my ship. The host stays until _I_ decide if she lives or not. He stays until _they_ decide." He snapped his fingers and two Asgardian soldiers entered. They pulled Bucky to his feet roughly.

"If they let me go, I want to stay here," he insisted quickly, "I'm going to prove Inessa was right! You have to leave me here! I won't go back to Earth until I find our friends!"

Sam gave no indication he even heard Bucky as the man was dragged from the room. Instead he crouched down and inspected the host in the cage, "How do we tell for sure if Inessa is gone?" Berny knew Bucky wanted her to find her way back to her old body, if there was anything left. The weapon didn't work that way though- it didn't expel. It destroyed.

"Once she's back on her feet Ellie will examine her mind."

"Inessa's got a history of fooling psychics."

"I remember Pryor better than you," Sam snapped, "that's the point. If Ellie can get in there then Inessa's really gone. If there's any resistance- well, then we shoot the host in the face and burn the body."

"What about Bucky? You won't let them kill him, I know you."

Sam shook his head, "I don't know why that scheming bitch came out here, but I'm not about to allow him to go stumbling around and risk him accidentally setting off whatever the next phase of her plan was. He's going back to Earth and he'll hear the truth about what she's done and everyone she killed- not just Steve and the others. After that he'll understand- we didn't turn on Inessa blindly. Remember that."

* * *

"Welcome to my luxury abode," Amadeus' voice was filled with disdain as Bucky was shoved inside, "or as I like to call it- Hell."

"Who are you?" Bucky sat down with the doors at his back.

"Amadeus Cho."

"Inessa's friend," the name gave him hope. This was the kid who'd changed the frequency and allowed her to escape Avengers Tower. He was someone she trusted, her lieutenant, maybe he was someone who could help in her stead.

Amadeus nodded, trying not to sound _too_ interested, "You're Bucky Barnes, right? Man, you don't even know how much trouble I've gotten in over the years trying to find you. Bringing you in after all the flack she gave me? I'm never letting her forget it!"

Bucky's stomach dropped and he looked aside, "I- sorry, they- Berny-" he couldn't say it. Couldn't admit they failed, but he had to do his best to tell Inessa's friend she was gone, "I'm sorry. There was a weapon- made specifically to kill the Shadow- she- she didn't get out of the way in time. She's gone."

"She's not gone," Amadeus' faith in his leader was too great, even after everything, "She doesn't break easily. Right when you think she has she comes back. She doesn't go down, and if she stumbles, she never stays there long." He was so sure, so convincing. Even if he believed the blood magic controlled her in some way, he knew his friend was still inside.

"Berny shot her with a Stark weapon," Bucky looked down at his hand to avoid the boy's eyes, "it- it killed her. The host is still in there, but Nessie- her eyes are brown. There's nothing left."

"You're wrong," Amadeus shook his head, "you're wrong because I know something you don't know."

"What's what?"

"Nessa isn't a Shadow."

Bucky sighed, "Yes she is, she told me herself. She found out-"

"Five years ago, almost six? From Cul Borson?" Bucky nodded, "Nessa believed that. The Avengers believed that. I never did. She's not some _shade_. She's Nessa. She's human. If she wasn't then Dennisson's frequency would have knocked her out of that body, or she'd have escaped sooner than after two years of torture. I've read about Tony's weapon. If you use it on a Shadow, it destroys them, sends the power back to whatever created them- Inessa."

He decided to humor the kid, "So if Inessa's human then what?"

"If Inessa's human? If her eyes were silver all these years because she never _stopped_ using her power- the part that went into creating and maintaining her pack? The gun shuts them down. Throws the switch, kills the engine, sends the power back into the battery, restarts the computer, refills the tank. It turns off her power, returns her eyes to brown, and removes a strain that's been there for _years_."

"She's gone, the host can't move, can't speak-"

"Inessa's overwhelmed. Every time you thought she was broken she came back, right? That's what you saw?"

"How did you know about that?" goosebumps popped up on his arm, and the phantom feeling left in his stump made him _swear_ they were on the missing arm too.

Amadeus ignored the question, "If she was human, then the gun would just cut off the dead weight she's been dragging- return the slivers of power she's kept out in the Valley most of her life- and her powers have been growing ever since she was _born_. She'd be able to do things she never even _dreamed_ of."

"Like what?"

"Like not only _bleeding_ shadows, but forming an _armor_ out of them. No more dumping her body in the Valley to fight, she'd _be_ the Shadow, not just half of it. No more headaches, no more weakness to light- at least not as much of one, she'd have power to spare! The frequency wouldn't hold her anymore, it couldn't shut off enough of her abilities. She wouldn't just be able to _read_ minds, she could _enter_ them!" he was getting excited as he spoke.

"Really?" the host was blank right now- close enough to what Bucky had seen when he tried to break Inessa. Could it mean- but how did Amadeus know about his vision? Inessa said not all Avengers removed their marks from the Shadow-venom, and Nadya escaped Berny's weapon. If she was still around maybe the Avengers marked with her venom were still active. If Inessa was still in her own body and just dazed or something a beacon like that- it would be like a moth to a flame.

"Really really."

"How sure are you?" Bucky met the boy's eyes, desperate for an answer. Was the vision just a memory? Or was it Inessa, reaching out? When she was the Shadow she'd whispered in his mind, driven him insane with the need to help find the body so she could die. Was that something similar? Showing him a memory to let him know she was there? He might not have lost his friend after all, he might not have failed Steve and the others!

Amadeus grinned wickedly and his eyes flashed a burning, brilliant silver. When he spoke there was a second voice layered with his, a woman's voice, "Pretty damn sure."


	23. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: 50 Days Before the Explosion**

"Noelle, can you come with me for a moment, please?" Steve interrupted Amadeus and his team as they ran yet another round of simulations on the symbols from the Shadow King's blood magic. At this point it was pretty much only them looking. Everyone kept Niflheim and what happened there as an active case, but it was more likely the answers would be found off-realm. With Odin's well-known distaste for the Avengers it wasn't hard to imagine that an answer had already been found- he just wasn't telling. As worried as the leaders were, they had a world to protect, and it _was_ well over a month later. They'd never had an attack this drawn out before.

Amadeus glanced up and fixed the Captain with his coldest glare- his own form of greeting Steve, Vision, and Clint ever since the Leader's Meeting where they'd voted to form a second Black Ops unit. He willfully ignored Natasha and Wanda, who abstained from voting- meaning they agreed with Steve but didn't want to hurt Inessa's feelings. His smiles he saved only for Tony, Thor, Banner, and Sam who'd all sided with Inessa against the idea.

The new Unit couldn't form without the unanimous consent of _every_ Avengers leader (which Steve would never get because Inessa wouldn't budge in her position that it was useless), or an 89% majority of _all_ Avengers. Basically the only way he was getting his new team was to convince every last one of them it was necessary, but if more than four Avengers couldn't be won over then once again he would fail. He'd been speaking with them one-by-one for days, trying to explain that yes, the timing sucked, but they _needed_ to support the Shadow Unit. Let them focus on Inessa and the Shadow King while _another_ Black Ops team protected the world. It divided the teams within each of the four units- and now Steve had the audacity to approach a member of Inessa's group directly.

"Go with him and you're dead to me," Marie glanced up from her computer across from Amadeus in the small root interface of JARVIS' mainframe- a glorified server room that felt more like a claustrophobic closet. She'd never seen him look so cold, or so dead serious. The more Steve pressed his case against Amadeus' friend and leader the less old loyalties mattered.

Steve rolled his eyes, "I've about had it with you Amadeus. Noelle- Captain's orders. Come on."

"Sorry," she shrugged to Amadeus and slid back from her computer. Marie was indifferent on the whole issue. She ignored Steve, Amadeus, and their little feud. She was too new to be loyal to a leader she'd frankly hardly seen and pretty much just followed her lieutenant's orders- right now that meant running down leads on blood magic… Even though in reality she was taking advantage of her secluded position and playing Oregon Trail. Amadeus had cholera, Inessa died from exposure, and Noelle was still going strong despite being 65.

"Hey Steve," Amadeus got his attention before he left with Noelle.

"Let me guess, you're going to tell me to shove something up my ass."

"Your head, yes."

"Good talk."

Amadeus sighed dramatically after he left, "Ah Marie, I wish you knew Noelle better before her tragic passing."

"Do I need to start wearing black?" she wasn't paying much attention, but she knew by now to pretend to humor the oddest Avenger.

"No, that's alright, she wouldn't want us to be in mourning forever."

"You leaving lilies in front of her door?"

"Naturally," he cracked his neck and went back to typing away, "by the way- I'm closer to 25 than 20 and you treat cholera with laudanum, not extra fluids."

"How-"

"JARVIS is a tattle-tail," a screen popped up on her game informing her 'Zombie Inessa' had joined the group. Marie was fairly positive that wasn't part of the original game, "Do a better job with her this time around."

"I will. I promise."

* * *

"Is this about the second Black Ops Unit?" Noelle had followed Steve up to his apartment where his lieutenant, Sharon, was waiting. The Tower was boiling with tension, mostly thanks to Steve and his decision to just about ignite a new civil war. Teams were fighting one another at the slightest provocation and Tony's Iron Legion could only do so much to keep the peace. Splitting the teams off back to their satellite facilities would be tantamount to declaring open conflict. Steve hiding out away from the others was probably the only move he had left to make.

"No, but it _is_ about Inessa," Sharon invited Noelle to sit but she remained where she was, "Steve offered leadership to Amadeus because it is the least controversial choice. Promoting a lieutenant is easier for the public _and_ the Avengers to swallow than promoting a general member. Ideally it would be you and Marie on the new team."

"You sent me to Inessa's team because you were worried about her and Amadeus and how they were handling Mallory Ivaneau's death and Eoin O'Meara's betrayal. I'm an Avenger first, Shadow Unit second. I will continue to do what I believe is best for the _entire_ group, not just my team. I won't turn on my leader for power. It only fans the flames." She turned but Steve blocked her way quickly.

"I'm _not_ offering you leadership, we're just saying you were the first choice."

"I'm ambitious, not petty," Noelle was one of the most logically-minded Avengers Steve had ever known- including Tony. He wasn't entirely sure she was human and not another strange AI like Vision. She could read people's intentions, and he only wanted her to know his for sure- in case that mechanical personality did see its pride as being wounded. Geoff swore she was different once you really got to know her. Evidently the four years he'd lived in the same building as Noelle (the first year of that with her on his team) wasn't long enough.

Steve shook his head, "Use your powers. What are my intentions?"

Noelle's face was unreadable, "You've got two things for me. A mission, and a secret."

"Two missions, both secret," Sharon corrected softly. When Noelle was one of them she was still learning the subtle shifts in her powers and needed to be guided when possible.

"No. One mission. One secret. You think they're linked Sharon, Steve isn't so sure."

He glanced to his lover and she nodded, "JARVIS, load Hydra security footage from Project Echo. One of the more mild bits, please." Noelle turned back to face Sharon and the television behind her.

She wasn't one of the Avengers stupid enough to look at the torture footage from Inessa's time with Hydra. The newer ones, ones who didn't know any better, dared each other to watch it. All they knew was that everyone was afraid of it. Few were warned of the brutality. Eventually, though, they all learned the story- well, at least what they _thought_ was the story.

Grainy footage filled the screen of a blindingly bright torture room. The walls and floors were filled with lights- a true shadow-free zone. A plastic table sat in the center of the room and on it was a young Inessa, "Footage from July 27, 2009. Week 47 of Project Echo," a man with a shining metal arm was turning Inessa over, mindful of her feeble struggles to escape. Something was off with the girl's toes and every kick brought forth a squeal of pain, but she kept trying. Noelle knew what it was- they'd been severely broken once upon a time and healed _wrong_.

 _I was lucky,_ she remembered something Inessa had said once upon a time, _the body I left was in a pretty shitty state- all busted and gnarled. The Avengers took it in, JARVIS and this surgeon put it back together, and by the time I got to it it was in incredible shape again._

The man's face was too pixelated to see clearly, Noelle couldn't even tell if he was phased by the 15 year-old's feeble cries. Another man was waiting by a metal cart, on top of which was the unmistakable outline of a whip. Noelle knew more about Hydra torture techniques than she'd admit even to Geoff, but between her experience raiding bases and the occasional glimpse of Inessa's bare back in the locker room showers, she could safely bet that whip was studded with metal barbs. A small bowl sat on the tray as well- salt. Once, when Amadeus brought up her past, Inessa had told him her torturer, Thomas Dennisson, liked to extend the pain as long as possible using salt or citrus juice. Whenever the doctors told him he had to give her more than a day to recover he'd have her heavily sedated so that she could never enjoy the respite. It was hard for Noelle to look at the screen, knowing just what all of this meant to Inessa, and especially knowing that this was only halfway through. That girl in the video wouldn't be free for a very long time yet…

"JARVIS, override Echo Alpha, remove the filter," Steve came up next to Noelle as the picture abruptly sharpened to something closer to HD, "The cameras Hydra installed in the halls were shit. Unfortunately for those of us who had to watch this back when Inessa first came to the Tower, Dennisson liked a much better picture. We added the filter later to protect new Avengers from the full horror, should they try to watch without knowing precisely what it is. We were also protecting him," he motioned to the man with the metal arm as he tore open the back of the white shirt Hydra prisoners _still_ wore, "JARVIS, skip the gore, please."

The image jumped. Inessa's body was breathing heavy, but limp. Chunks of flesh torn off by the whip were sprinkled around the room. The metal man, the Winter Soldier who would one day be killed by Steve over the Potomac during the Hydra emergence, was leaning hard against the wall in the corner of the room over a small pool of vomit. Dennisson was now holding the whip in one hand and the empty bowl of salt in the other. He threw both on the table and whistled sharply, glaring at the Soldier.

Two scientists and two guards immediately wheeled a bizarre chair into the room. Noelle recognized it from an Avengers file she'd skimmed in the computer- a programming machine. Brutal and efficient, it zapped the subject with near-lethal amounts of electricity while a small screen over the eye played a "Compliance and Obedience" video. Brainwashing at its worst.

The Winter Soldier was moved into the chair. His metal arm held him to some hidden magnet and the panels descended. While he screamed, Dennisson smiled. It sent chills down Noelle's spine.

"Skip ahead, give us a freeze frame on his face."

The gaunt, dead-eyed man who emerged from the machine a few hours later looked oddly familiar. Big eyes, straight nose, strong jaw- a face more suited to a cocky smile than a stone-cold glare. If the footage wasn't black and white she might have had a harder time guessing, but it jogged something, "He's on the Wall of Remembrance. One of yours."

"James Buchanan Barnes," Sharon nodded, "his picture is next to my Great Aunt Peggy's." Every Avenger facility had a wall of photographs of people near and dear to each Avenger. Some they'd lost, some they'd failed to save, the pictures were on the walls to remind them all what they fought for. Their family outside their team.

"And he didn't die in the Potomac like everyone thinks. The Winter Soldier went in, Bucky Barnes pulled _me_ out."

"Amadeus was right?"

Steve glanced to Sharon, "Amadeus has been repeatedly warned to keep his mouth shut," he looked at Bucky's face a moment longer and sighed, sad, "He joined us on the condition we find Inessa. His programming was breaking, but she'd been locked in the Valley too long. She couldn't find purchase here, so she whispered in his mind until it about drove him insane…"

"We never lied," he continued, "the battles against the Shadow, the fight against Dennisson, Hydra, Sebastian Morris and his cabal- it's like those pictures in Inessa's living room. The first and fourth photographs- pull them out of the frames some time and you'll see they're just folded specially to hide him. He was an Avenger for about seven or eight months."

"Steve couldn't face his demons," Sharon took over, "but Bucky wanted to. After the battle with the cabal he went into hiding- maybe until he got things under control, maybe forever. He hasn't been seen since."

Noelle's power flared, "You want me to find him. He's the secret you think is a mission."

"Bucky had these visions, three of them," Steve explained, "in each one Avengers Tower was destroyed. In the last one he saw Sam attempting to carry out an execution order against Inessa for the deaths of myself, Tony, Banner, Thor, Clint, and Natasha- the original Avengers. Bucky's had a lot of experience as a ghost, but I _need_ to talk to him. He sent himself away to find peace and flush out Hydra's Winter Soldier, but with the Shadow King's blood magic, Ingvir's death, the disappearances, and Inessa's new issues with her powers I'm worried. I need to know more about what he saw, if he's seen anything else, and if we're anywhere near the timeline in his visions."

"Why not ask Muhammad? He's the first person that comes to mind with the power to send something like that."

"He _will_ probably send them, yes," Sharon corrected, "but if he'd seen something yet he would tell Thor. We can't ask him and risk an Ouroborous, even a small one."

"My mission is to monitor Inessa," Noelle predicted, "the second is to find Barnes again. Neither of you really think that will help."

Steve nodded, "We need to know if the blood magic is turning Inessa into the woman from Bucky's vision, and he's in the best position to make that call. We're not finding him to extend a membership offer, only to confirm or eliminate a theory."

Sharon stood up and came over to Noelle, "Inessa always has had a perfect distinction of James and the Winter Soldier. She supported his decision to leave. After Steve's breakdown," she spared a sympathetic glance to her lover, "she became downright protective of the man. Steve felt like he'd been forced into this life, James _had_ been. To him his work with the Avengers was more like an extension of what he did for Hydra, just pointed at a different target. She made sure no one knows where he is so that he can be free of it all. She's doing her best to make that happen."

"He's had a lifetime of experience in hiding," Steve continued, "he didn't come to my funeral, he probably hid himself away somewhere so remote he doesn't even know Thanos existed. If anyone is going to find him, it has to be a Black Ops member, and of those we can only trust you to actually retrieve him. In the meantime, yes, we want you to watch Inessa. Look for any signs her judgement is impaired. It's nothing unconscionable, just be a vigilant friend."

Noelle considered it, "Watch her and find him, is that all?"

"We wouldn't ask you to do anything against either," Sharon assured her.

"I have a duty to keep the Avengers safe," Steve prompted, "I'll do what I can for Inessa, and I'll keep my friends safe _from_ her. When Bucky told us about his visions I wasn't willing to listen. I'd just watched him squeeze the head off of an unarmed Dennisson and though it wasn't confirmed at the time I _knew_ he'd killed Inessa's uncle. Someone, probably a future version of Muhammad, was trying to warn us against something. I need to know what Bucky knows, and this time I'm ready to pay attention."

"One condition."

"Name it."

Noelle sighed, "Make peace with Inessa. It isn't good for the Avengers as a whole, you two at one another's throats."

Steve shook his head, "I can't make that promise without knowing what's coming."

"At least stop talking about a second Black Ops unit."

He looked tired, but he shook her hand, "That's an easier promise to make."

* * *

"Nessa, I need to grab something from your apartment."

"JARVIS, let Noelle in. Lock up when she leaves." Inessa was still trapped in the hospital wing. Noelle felt a twinge of guilt, using Inessa's trust like this, but she had to know for sure what she was wading into. Pictures one and four…

Inessa's living room was a shrine to the past six years, but the earliest pictures were different. Avengers didn't typically think to chronicle their adventures or time together- especially not in those early days. Initially it was only the Leaders, all living separate lives unless something came up that drew them together. The only reason the Battle of the Shadows had been a group effort was because they happened to be in New York City together when Bucky was brought in. The only reason that happened was because of Thor's appointment to Asgardian Ambassador.

After Inessa returned to her body they all went to Clint's farm. Again, it wasn't meant as anything more than a team vacation after the stresses and strains of New York City (plus, no one was willing to leave Inessa behind, now that they knew there was someone in there). Then Ultron, and the satellite facilities began popping up. Then Thanos and the new Avengers who came in droves.

Picture one was, naturally, among those taken from security footage. It showed the Avengers together in the recovery room after Clint saw the Shadow for the first time. It was the brightest room in the old Tower, and they'd marked it as the best place to be. A surgeon friend of Tony's was visiting to check out Steve, Sam, and Natasha- freshly arrived from their trip to Kazakhstan where they retrieved the Project Echo folder. At least, that was the version she'd been told. The surgeon just happened to be there before Steve went exploring to verify Clint's story and was attacked. The _why_ of his leaving was never particularly clear, but in the security picture Noelle had always thought Steve was looking at something off-frame, worried about some invisible matter.

She pulled that picture from the wall first and quickly removed the backing. Sure enough, the picture was folded over. Noelle pulled the image out and held it up to inspect. Bucky Barnes was lying unconscious on a hospital bed across from where the Avengers sat. His metal arm was gone and the shoulder on his left side was heavily bandaged. He was also in Steve's direct eye-line. Steve had survived his fight with the Shadow by holding onto one of Thor's healing stones- now Noelle wondered if he hadn't been _retrieving_ it when Inessa had first attacked so that it might help his friend.

Picture four was the first of the group shots, this one from Clint's farm. It was the first non-paparazzi group picture of the Avengers Leaders ever taken (though it was minus Wanda and Vision, of course). They were sitting around the fire at Clint's farm- the original format of the Leader's Meeting apparently- fanned out so a group picture could be taken. Their faces were somewhat grim, Inessa had something metallic peeking out from the back of her neck (Noelle asked about it once and never received an explanation for what seemed to be some sort of machine), and Steve's nose had a definite snarl to it. Inessa explained to her it was only a few weeks before the attack by Morris' cabal. Tony had decided they needed a group picture the night before Inessa, Steve, and Sam returned to New York City for her to undergo treatment by undercover cabal member Doctor Madelyn Pryor.

This time Noelle had a good idea of where Bucky was hidden. She removed and unfolded that picture as well. Sure enough what Inessa claimed was the tip of an abandoned shoe next to Tony was attached to someone. Bucky. He was smiling a tense smile on the farthest side of the group as possible from Steve. This picture would help her more in her search- his hair was clean and pushed back, he was awake, alert, and well lit- considering the picture was taken by an Iron Man suit and it was nighttime. Inessa stood in the center of the group, seemingly unafraid of her torturer so close.

Inessa could have cut him from the pictures, easily, but she chose to hide him instead. Steve said she was protective of his freedom from the team- especially after what they went through with Steve in the civil war. She was willing to do whatever it took to keep him out of _anyone's_ hands- Hydra or the Avengers. That might have been what she told herself, but Noelle didn't need her powers to see the intention behind keeping Bucky in the photographs, invisible but still a part of the memory- she couldn't give up hope that he might one day come back. She didn't cut the line or even hide it better- she made a small change that could easily be undone. If he walked through the doors that very day she'd probably come up and unfold the pictures herself. Doctor's orders or no.

"Find what you were looking for?" her voice came through the house speakers, "Amadeus just left to go buy lilies to put in front of your door. He's making the other Avengers sign a 'Sorry you died' card. I'm guessing Steve sent you up?"

"He had some questions about an old case of ours, thought it might tie into one of his."

"I see," Inessa had an odd way of sounding (and looking) like she knew exactly what was going on, "old files are in the middle of the book case in my library."

"Yeah, got it," Noelle quickly put the pictures back together and returned them to their proper places. She noticed a thin line in the paint- maybe nothing, maybe a security mark. Noelle lined both pictures up with the barely visible scratch and headed quickly for the back corner of Inessa's apartment. Most of the books in here were related in some way to her coursework or were simply books she liked to have around- encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases- she wasn't always a fan of going to the Avenger's library where noisy gatherings were held almost nightly. Besides- the Shadow Unit's case files were all there.

"Bottom left. Inactive cases," Inessa spoke softly, as if she wasn't sure she wanted Noelle to hear, "it's under 'Kochevnik'… The Russian word."

"Nessa-"

"Do me a favor?"

"Yeah," Noelle hung her head and took the file.

"Don't look too hard. No matter how Steve thinks this will end, if he hears something is wrong he'll come back. This life can suck you in and not let go. _I_ chose it, _we all_ chose it, but breaking away… It took a lot for him to leave the first time. Give me a chance to fix this before you pull him back in. Please."

Noelle didn't respond, but Inessa didn't expect her to. She had the file she needed, so she turned and left quickly. Once upon a time Inessa had brought a missing boy back to a village so remote it wasn't even _on_ a map. When she came back to check on him the town was abuzz with the news that a favored monk, believed to be a messenger of god, had vanished in the night just after her last visit. Inessa was intrigued, bored really, so she asked around that village and a few others just as remote. There were four confirmed sightings of him, this wandering Westerner who took shelter in temples and performed little acts of kindness to as many residents as he could manage before moving on again. It was the last temple they'd visited- where they'd learned the man seemed to possess super-human strength and performed feats with only one arm it would take ten men with two to complete in the same amount of time- like chopping firewood for an entire village or hunting large game for starving residents- that killed the case. Inessa brought them back to the Tower, said the man clearly wasn't a threat and the reports of his super human strength were likely exaggerations. The man, no matter where he was, went by the same name- the Kochevnik. The Nomad.

Inessa had as good as confirmed her hunch that perhaps the mysterious man, the buried case Inessa refused to _ever_ discuss again with any of them, might just also be Steve's missing friend.

* * *

Nadya stirred first, the others followed soon after. A soft breeze blew through the Valley, but it wasn't _her_. They'd been despondent since the sky opened and something nearly drew the lost realm back from whatever oblivion it was in to rejoin the Bifrost. Her power still filled the Valley and sparked across the now brilliant blue sky. Until it dissipated, until she opened a path for it to return to her, she would remain weak and lost.

So, if not her, what was knocking?

A crack of thunder sent shockwaves from the heart of the Valley and forced the pack to scatter. In their place appeared two people, or rather _pieces_ of them. A couple of fingers and puddles that just smelled _wrong_. Part human, part poison and radiation.

Hours passed and more bodies flooded in in varying stages of completion. Around the thousandth time bodies that were at least whole on the outside (though black liquid on the inside) began to appear. The pack became agitated and frightened as the corpses continued to arrive, and Inessa's moods shifted back in Avengers Tower in response (though she had _no_ idea why and attributed it to either kidney failure or PMS).

Nadya alone had been part of the Shadow for the last eleven years, and they didn't have the same abilities or instincts as their Alpha, they were pure instinct. Near the end one of the new arrivals was still alive and, like their mistress, was wreathed in black mist and silver fog. Before Nadya could stop them they set upon the abomination and ripped it to shreds. It wouldn't have survived long anyways, but it was still a creature that should have been protected.

The Alpha had only one option. It was connected to Inessa in a way the others were not, and Nadya had always been able to draw on Inessa's power to open a door and find the girl. She took it as a duty to protect and aid her. From Inessa's own anger and uncertainty when she'd connected with Nadya's mind in the attack on New York the Alpha knew what had to be done, considering the uncertainty and suspicion of the human-cub's allies.

She borrowed that piece of Inessa's mind and, despite the pain it knew the action would cause, it used her to open a door into the Valley. The wolves atop the heap of corpses howled as the lightning high above followed Nadya to Inessa and brought their mistress to full power. Inessa shrieked- more from surprise- when an abrupt burst of pain wracked her body, followed by a sensation disturbingly like having an entire bathtub worth of ice water poured on top of you at once (she knew the feeling thanks to Amadeus and Clint several prank wars ago).

Nadya dove into the shadows of the exam room and came out on the other side of the floor in the equipment storage area. Acting off Inessa's own ever-present link she found the Helius beacons used by the Avengers and began to rip and tear at them one by one. Every Avenger was in the Tower, meaning every beacon was in one place and within minutes they were destroyed. The others wouldn't know now.

4,000 bodies in the Valley. The Avengers could never see, no one could know yet but the mistress. Though, thanks to Inessa, Nadya's instinct had been to preserve the creature that arrived last. The pack was right to destroy it. She had a sense of the others, thanks to the marks that each Avenger bore as a locating beacon. Some didn't trust the mistress' powers anymore, not like they used to.

What would they do if they found out someone, somewhere, was trying to create their own Shadow?

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

I've been chatting with my writing partner for "Valkyrie Wars" and she authorized me to post an excerpt of a few of the early scenes as a preview for those of you interested, so let me know what you all think!


	24. Valkyrie Wars Extended Preview

**Valkyrie Wars: Extended Preview**

Samantha was being burned alive- or boiled. _Definitely boiled,_ she took deep, measured breaths in the crippling midwest humidity and wiped at the sweat beading on her tanned forehead. Her hair trapped more heat against her head and not for the first time she wished it were straight. People with straight hair could cut it short and style it- not cook their brains on hot summer days. If she cut the tight curls she'd been cursed with she'd end up with an afro and her wide brimmed hat would become a permanent accessory to hide the mistake. Her best friend had fairly straight hair and was eternally jealous of the curls, she'd gladly trade!

 _It's only 75 degrees out_ , she reminded herself, _it's the humidity that makes it feel like 750_. She revoked her promise to punch anyone who used the nauseatingly cliche expression, "It's a dry heat!" Now that she'd known humidity- particularly at these levels- she understood perfectly. _I wonder if there's any demand for archaeologists in Alaska or Siberia..._

"Cedro! You're on break." Her supervisory professor barked from his shaded tent equipped with half a dozen fans and mini-fridge fully stocked with icy drinks. Bastard. "Supervisory Professor" sounded like someone who _led_ a dig, _helped_ with the work, _educated_ the students working on their PHDs. Funny how misleading titles could be.

"Thank you!" She happily abandoned her brush, hammers, and chisels to take her 15 minutes lying on the sweaty towel under the golf umbrella with a bottle of lukewarm water. Hey, at least there was shade!

"Making any progress in your quadrant?" Caleb, her _Assistant_ supervisory professor (meaning the one who did the actual work) fist-bumped her as they traded places in the corner of the dig site.

Samantha took a long gulp of water to buy her frazzled brain time to formulate a response that didn't sound totally useless, "Not really," _nailed it, dumbass._

"Well, it's your time," Caleb shrugged, "if your gut says there's something there then keep looking. This is one of the last times in your career you'll be able to do that without needing a financially viable and well-explained reason. Go with your instincts now- maybe you'll find some interesting Native American artifacts there."

"I'll give it another couple of days, then move on," Samantha didn't miss the underlying message in Caleb's little speech- you're acting like a rookie and not a pro. Yes he was supporting her, but he was also warning her. That kind of double-speak tried her patience.

Even resting in the scrap of shade wasn't as comfortable as it should have been. Along with Caleb's subtle critique she felt a strange urgency- one she didn't quite understand, and that feeling peaked in the hot, dry clay of her quadrant. It wasn't Native American artifacts she was looking for, unlike the other students. No, she didn't know what it was precisely, just that whatever she was seeking was _older_ , and for whatever reason she _had_ to be the one to find it.

Samantha didn't believe much in fate- particularly that some long-forgotten artifact was calling out to her- but she _was_ a devout student of history. Something down there needed to be found and she was determined to be the one to get at it.

* * *

"Time to call it a day!" Caleb announced happily at 5:30pm (long after the professor left), "Everyone close off your areas for the night and be free!" he retrieved his cell phone from his dusty old knapsack and planted himself in the middle of the dig site for his evening ritual, "Stock market is up 2%. Yay. A guy in Argentina felt that seeing a spider on his pillow was a good reason to set fire to his house and burned half the street down- can't say I disagree. A survey came out saying people who drink coffee in the mornings have improved cognitive function- sorry Michelle but I'm betting frapps don't count. The Avengers continued their streak of _awesome_ by exposing an unregistered plutonium enrichment facility in Austria believed to be supplying Hydra and other terrorist organizations- no casualties among the Avengers of course but 85 criminals are now in the hospital or morgue. Because that's what happens when you mess with total badasses."

Samantha smiled as he continued skimming the headlines of the day and stretched tarp over her quadrant to secure it for the night. A successful mission meant there was no doubt she'd be breaking out the naughtier undergarments tonight...

* * *

"I like missions that end without significant body counts," Tony mused as he stepped from within the Suit into the hanger of Avengers Tower.

"By my count, Tony Stark, a great number of our enemies perished in battle, and a great deal more were injured," Thor, always so confused. Bless his blond little (giant) head.

"No significant body count of anyone we care about," he amended. "You know, _Ambassador_ Thor, I'm starting to think you only play dumb on TV."

"I do not understand your implication," he frowned, "I am not on a television at this time..."

Steve popped his neck as he exited the jet with Natasha, Clint, Bucky, and Banner- i.e. the non-flying Avengers, "He's saying you're pretending you don't understand what he meant just to mess with him." Just when "Tony Translator" was added to his job description even Steve didn't know.

"Oh!" Thor's expression brightened, "Pretending to be unknowing as a jest! This is true." The sudden deadpan made him look an awful lot like Loki. Sometimes the Avengers forgot they were brothers- equally mischievous.

"Touché," Tony nodded in approval.

"Good work today team," Sam touched down and flashed a smug grin at Clint's jealous gaze. He left his wings out a few seconds longer to _really_ mess with him, then folded them up, "Now don't take it personally but I'm ditching y'all and getting a week's worth of missed sleep."

"Anyone up for Chinese?" Natasha took a poll. Clint and Bucky were in, Banner chose the same path as Sam- sleep first, then socializing.

"I've got quality time to spend with Pepper," Tony waved as they headed inside.

"I must report our victory to Asgard! Then I shall join you Natasha Romanoff!"

"Beef and broccoli?" Bucky confirmed his favorite order, " _Extra_ broccoli?"

"No broccoli," Thor corrected immediately. He wasn't picky, but he _hated_ that vegetable in particular.

"Got it, beef and broccoli- no beef."

"No. No broccoli."

"Extra broccoli?"

"NO broccoli!"

"Oh!" he exclaimed, slapping his metal hand to his forehead, "I apologize Ambassador Prince Thor... _NO_ beef."

They continued arguing as they vanished into the Tower's locker room to wash off the grit and grime of battle. Bucky would be spending a good chunk of the evening with a wire brush cleaning out people-remains from the joints and plates of his metal arm. It was getting close to eight months now since Steve and Sam had brought him into the fold and it seemed like he was finally regaining some of his old cheer. Steve was just happy no one was woken in the middle of the night by a manic, PTSD-riddled assassin in the last three months (and that Tony had finally removed the magnets from most of the doorways in the Tower).

"What about you Cap? Big plans?" Natasha winked slyly.

"No," Steve locked on his best poker-face, "I might go fly around in the jet for a while. Unwind. Maybe land somewhere and hike a bit, something low-key. Might stay out until tomorrow."

Natasha nodded, "Well, have fun. If you get yourself in a pinch just call."

"Right," Steve was already edging back towards the hanger door, "Good work everyone! We debrief tomorrow afternoon- so Sam, no sleeping for a week solid just yet. Avengers- disassemble!" quickly he turned and made for the jet.

"So," Banner was holding his sweatpants up and leaning against the wall, mildly entertained, "secret girlfriend?"

"Absolutely," Sam nodded.

"Without a doubt," Clint snickered.

"He's just insulting us now," Natasha put her hands on her hips, "not even a convincing lie. I'm hurt."

"JARVIS, find out who she is," Tony said casually before leaving to find Pepper, "I want blackmail material. Lots of it."

"Of course you do, sir."

* * *

Samantha smiled at the knock on her door and tossed her clean clothes back on the dresser she'd only just retrieved them from. Still wearing her dirt and sweat-encrusted clothes from a day of digging she quickly walked down the narrow hall and peered through the peephole. _Right on time_. She swung her door open and laughed, "Come in, Master of Disguise."

"Ha. Ha." Steve smirked and ducked into the small apartment. He pulled back the hood of his Indiana University sweatshirt and kissed Samantha even as she kicked the door closed behind him.

She moaned softly, smiling as she felt his lips angle upwards in a similar expression and Steve pulled her tighter against him. When the kiss ended both were slightly breathless, "I haven't showered yet," it was more an offer than statement.

Steve twirled a lock of her hair with one hand while his other slid up under the back of her shirt to trace her spine lightly, "What a coincidence, neither have I."

* * *

Samantha slept soundly in Steve's arms, more comfortable and content than ever (or at least since his last visit before the battle). He held her tight against his chest and nuzzled her neck from behind, blissful at the feeling of her bare skin against his. The quiet, calm rest was as much a balm for the hero's soul as a comfort to her- sleeping beside the woman he loved, knowing she was safe in his arms. He wasn't going to lose this one, not like Peggy. Steve was through with regrets and tears.

It was Samantha who dreamed of war. She stood on a red field surrounded by an army of blue giants and golden soldiers. They clashed violently all around with no sign of the fight ending. Samantha walked invisible through the throng and the entire scene slowed to a crawl. Ahead of her, fighting close together, were three strange women.

They weren't alone- battle maidens were sprinkled throughout the field, but they were something else entirely. The other warriors wore black and silver armor that was thick and uniform in cut and style, these three did not. They wore dark gowns studded with golden plates that swirled around them as they fought with all the grace of dancers. Their arms were protected, but the joints had been left exposed to increase their range of motion. Each wore a helm, but even those were strange, different from their subordinates.

Samantha sensed the furthest from her was the eldest. She swung a massive broadsword around her in a deadly ribbon of steel that bit into her enemies and laid them low. Her movements were fast, even in the slowed battle- but it wasn't enough. She was growing weary and the giants came without end. After a moment she had to adjust and fight two opponents at once, a few seconds later it became three, then four, then she was overwhelmed. The woman was buried under a mob of the blue giants for a moment. When they backed away she was still gasping, trying to breathe against the spears and blades that impaled her. Her sword was still gripped tightly in her hand. She removed one hand from the sword hilt and used it to unclasp her gilded helm. She opened the front of it that she might see the other two as she died- take comfort in knowing her sisters, at least, yet lived. It wasn't long before the light in her amber eyes was gone and her hand fell limp.

An anguished cry came from the other two when they saw their companion fall. _No,_ Samantha thought, _not companion. Sister._ The smaller of the two slashed with renewed vigor. Her twin short-swords whirred about her in a tornado of knives and blood. She cut a red swath to her sister's body. The other sibling likewise made to clear a space in the battlefield. Her hair was braided tightly back and whipped around her as she moved- faster than Samantha could follow. She carved her enemies with a long, curved scythe. The one with the swords had a helm as closed off as her late sister's, but the scythe-wielder was something different altogether. Her helm covered only the upper portion of her face- not even the top of her head. It looked more like a metal blindfold than anything- there weren't even slits in it to see from!

"SKULD!" The woman dove behind the small warrior to block a vicious swing from an exceptionally large giant. Her blade absorbed the shock, but she was forced to a knee. As she jumped back up the man swung again. She cried out as the blow connected- then her curved blade split in two. The younger one turned and was sprayed with the blood of her sister as she was opened from shoulder to hip.

The last one, Skuld presumably, attacked her sister's killer with reckless abandon, but he met every blow. She stretched, sprang, whirled, tried every combination of moves she knew and a few she invented in the heat of battle, but it was not enough to do more than irritate the behemoth. Samantha knew she'd die soon. Judging by the grim set of the fighter's mouth and the grin on the blue man's they did too. So she made the only move left open to her- she stepped into his blade and plunged both of hers into his chest, piercing his heart and both lungs. They were frozen a moment, then he drew his sword from Skuld's stomach and slowly pierced her heart as well.

Samantha felt a great pain from this one as she fell to the ground with her foe, but the pain was not physical. As she bled she lifted her head to look from one sister to the other, both just barely out of reach. Her eldest sister, still with her hand extended towards her, the middle sister rent in two like her blade, her head tipped back as if to watch her fight through the impossible metal visor. Around them the tide began to turn against the blue horde, but it was too late now.

 _Stop seeking that which is lost_ , an ancient voice whispered across the field. Samantha's ears were muted to the sound of fighting and her eyes were drawn to the final enemy- to the twin blades buried in his chest, _leave the past be._ The voice sounded so old, so incredibly sad. Still, Samantha couldn't stop staring at the swords of Skuld. _Stop searching, or else you risk losing everything you love_.

* * *

"Samantha?" Steve gently kissed her awake from the dream that held her fast, "It's time to get up, my love."

She moaned in protest and snuggled back against him more.

"You're gonna be late to work," he whispered in her ear and lightly traced the outside with his lips. She couldn't tell if it was a statement or warning.

"What time is it?"

He glanced at the clock, "6:30."

Samantha considered it briefly, the dream slid away from her mind into oblivion and was replaced instead with thoughts of the night before- of all she and Steve had done before they went to sleep, "I'll stay at work an extra half hour tonight," She reached behind her and rested a hand on Steve's upper thigh to make her point.

"Half an hour?" he shifted so she could roll to face him.

She pulled him close and smiled, then rolled on top of him and leaned in as if for a kiss. Before their lips touched she pulled away and straddled him so that she could reach for the far nightstand to grab some breath mints, "I'm not kissing morning breath," she popped two in her mouth and held one between her teeth. Steve pulled her head down to his and retrieved his candy. He flipped Samantha over so that now he was on top and lightly bit at her neck as she moaned, "OK, an hour."

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

"Valkyrie Wars" will be a bit racier and focus more on the characters and less on the specific events. You won't see Bucky being brought in to the Avengers, but you'll get a lot of him with the rest of the team and since, unlike Project Echo, he isn't a main source of conflict in the story he'll actually be getting _along_ with people and be a bit more bratty :)

I would like to say- I'm not that good at writing sex scenes, so while it's "racier" than PE (which has had one nude scene in a shower in Part 1 that ended in amputation), this is as close as you're probably going to get to a naughty scene- the lead-in. It'll be a bit more gory than PE (though I'm adding a LOT of gore in the re-write) and will probably still have the "M" rating for that reason (plus I like my characters to curse).

I'd also like to say this-

My writing partner (Samantha-Marie) in this is my former college roommate. She's excellent and a lot of fun and a wonderful writer, so I think you'll all like what we came up with together! "Valkyrie Wars" comes from a series of letters we sent back and forth. After seeing "Winter Soldier" for the first time I sent her a message in a bottle (it's something you can do in the US though the mail) as if it were Bucky writing Steve after the events of the movie. She wrote back and it turned into a story-through-letters. Now we're bringing those letters together into a story for you all to enjoy!


	25. Chapter 20

**Before this chapter begins:  
** With Amadeus and Inessa sharing a body for this chapter, I wanted to give him a voice in things too, but in a way that wasn't too confusing. Therefore, except when italics are used to _emphasize_ a word in a sentence, anything like: _Amadeus:_ or _Inessa:_ means that they are thoughts, not something spoken. You could have probably figured that out on your own, but I just wanted to give you a heads up to avoid confusion :)

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Not Dead (Yet)**

Bucky's face broke into a massive grin and he pulled Amadeus into a tight hug, "Inessa, I- you're-"he couldn't find the words for the incredible relief that washed over him.

 _Amadeus: Get him off me. Get. Him. Off. Of. Me. And if you two kiss I swear to god-_

"We're freaking the host out," Inessa pushed Bucky away lightly. She suppressed her smile- she had to admit it was a nice hug.

 _Amadeus: NO. That is NOT allowed in MY BODY!_

 _Inessa: Stop reading my mind!_

 _Amadeus: I can't NOT, you're broadcasting loud and clear!_

 _Inessa: I've never done this before, give me a break!_

"How are you doing this?" Bucky had no idea Inessa and Amadeus were bickering, "I thought you were gone."

"It's kind of hard to explain… Amadeus, shut up for a few minutes, OK?" She caught the confusion on her companion's face and pointed to her (Amadeus') head, "He's being noisy," it was hardly an explanation, but Bucky was willing to take it.

 _Inessa: I just realized I have no idea how to explain this._

 _Amadeus: Well, show me what you know and I'll try to talk you through it._

"Um, alright," she decided to parrot her lieutenant, "The wolves in the Valley- they weren't wolves, they were something I made without realizing it. My eyes were brown when I was little, but between Dimitri's drunken beatings and the general stress of growing up broke in a place like Englewood, I wasn't shutting my power down as quickly as I got older. When Hydra took me I was _always_ trying to use my abilities, testing their frequency and with everything… I never stopped. I never let go of the shadows. Frequency or no, my powers were still active, so my eyes didn't change back."

"Amadeus thinks the Hydra attacks and the accidents when I was little are linked to my emotions. The wolves became more feral the angrier and more afraid _I_ became. After Hydra they were psychotic because with everything I'd just about lost my mind too. I was broken, _beyond_ terrified, and desperate for the world to make some sort of sense for five minutes in a row. They fed off that confusion and were out of control."

 _Amadeus: You lost your mind to Hydra…_

 _Inessa: Yeah, and a lot of people suffered for it._

 _Amadeus: You lost your mind… To that hundred-plus year old man over there you were just thinking is such a nice hugger._

 _Inessa: Amadeus Cho don't you start in on that-_

 _Amadeus: You're_ literally _in my head, I can see your every thought and as an inside AND outside observer let me make it clear: I DON'T APPROVE OF ANY MORE HUGGING!_

She felt like taunting him out of spite, _What about-_

 _Amadeus: NONE OF THAT EITHER, YOUNG LADY!_

"So what was the armor then? That stuff- I thought it was killing you." Bucky could tell there was some internal dialogue going on between Inessa and Amadeus, but he couldn't hear what they were saying and there was information he definitely needed.

 _Amadeus: Repeat after me, ghoul-_

"The wolves- it took power to form and maintain them," she wasn't sure it would work, but Inessa held up Amadeus' arm, "one percent of my power for every wolf- not really but let's pretend- one hundred wolves means one hundred percent of my power. Then instead of the shadows forming from this," she let black mist run down Amadeus' arm, "it starts sucking its power from _me_. If left unchecked it _will_ kill me." She closed her fist and pure black armor erupted from the flesh, wholly encasing it, "This is what one hundred percent in one spot looks like, but it's self-contained. I create it, then it keeps itself going, unlike the wolves. The wolves keep drawing from me, this- it's like a battery backup.

"We didn't know what it was the first time. Using my power the way I did pulled way more than I'd ever tried to use before. My system was strained, my powers started drawing from my body, and somehow I created the armor. It was protecting me, I think, covering me so that I could extend my abilities just a little bit longer during the day. Travis didn't understand- none of us did. The armor protected me from my own powers. He- Travis- pushed me into the sun, shorted it out before it could form all the way. My power turned on me, just about killed me because I couldn't shut it off.

"The Avengers thought it was the Shadow dislodging from the host, so when Travis found me at the Collector's Vault he tried to jump-start me again, knock me clean out of this world. The armor was the overflow power. I couldn't shut it down, couldn't see or hear anything. Berny's gun forced everything to stop- the wolves, the armor- he reset my abilities and threw a _lot_ of power back into me… Did that make any sense?"

 _Amadeus: Only if he has brain damage._

Bucky nodded, "I think so."

 _Amadeus: Oh, that's comforting._

Inessa got the gist of what Amadeus was trying to explain- armor good, armor help. No armor bad.

 _Amadeus: Have I told you lately you're a true intellectual juggernaut?_

 _Inessa: Suck it._

"What's our next move? I was going to go for the intel before Sam tossed me in here. I think as long as Berny believes you're dead he can be persuaded to help us."

"First we need to know- Amadeus, who did Sam bring?"

 _Amadeus: Castor, Ellie, Eoin, Geoff, Kelsey, Marie, Maya, Raj, Travis, and myself. There are a handful of Asgardians, I'd believe if they had numbers instead of names. They're drones, but their leader's a snake- Calder._

"Alright, we've got Castor Kane, he's from Stark's team so he's a tech expert. He doesn't have superpowers but he's an excellent fighter. Next is Ellie Burke, a psychic from Natasha's team. She isn't as powerful as Madelyn Pryor was, but she can do basic mind reading, memory wipes, and she can influence emotion on the unsuspecting. Eoin O'Meara isn't an Avenger, he's a thug. Do you remember Mallory Ivanou?"

Bucky nodded, "Your best friend."

"Eoin is one of the ex-Hydra prisoners I handed over when she found me in Alaska. They started dating. When I formed the first Shadow Unit to help keep Steve out of trouble she was the first teammate I chose. Eoin came with her. He revealed our attack plans to Thanos in the Infinity War and got her along with eight other Avengers killed. If the death toll hadn't already been into seven digits we would have killed him too."

"Powers?"

"Healing. Also- be warned- he was about to be named leader of a second Black Ops unit when he betrayed us. He's smart and dangerous, a real sociopath."

"Who else is in Sam's arsenal?"

"Geoff Smith. He's from Steve's team, a teleporter. Then there's Kelsey Leigh- think Thor but with a sword instead of a hammer, she's also from Steve's team."

"Is there any significance to that? Two from his team?" Bucky was asking all the right questions, Inessa could tell Amadeus was impressed.

"Thanks to _someone's_ prophecy Steve started turning on me first. It caused a lot of issues with the other Avengers, so like with any conflict things started to polarize. You had to be all in or all against, no middle ground. The other Avengers saw it as a personal attack on one of their own, Steve's team had to get pretty aggressive to defend his position for him. Kelsey and Geoff probably hate me almost half as Eoin- and they're both pretty much at the point where they'd like to see my face peeled off and sewn on inside out. That says more about Eoin's capacity for hate than it does about theirs."

Bucky grimaced, "They'll be spirited. Got it. Marie messes with temperature, Maya?"

"Maya Lopez is from Thor's group, so she might not hate me quite as vividly as the others. Maya is stone deaf- unlike Clint the hearing aids couldn't help her. She's a fighter like Castor but with superhuman speed and reflexes- you and Natasha minus the strength, basically. She'll move about twice as fast as me, half a step faster than you. Rajesh Patel, also from Thor's team, is a master of invisibility. Sam brought him for his power, no doubt. He's good in a fight, but just trust your instincts over your eyes with him- he tends to fake right and dive left. Thor turned on me second-to-last, so his team is still new to the hate. They'll be hard to pin down. Last man on the list is Travis Ivanovich of Banner's team. He's a doctor, he can take away your pain or give you more- don't let him touch you. Eoin can't be trusted, Sam knows this, and I'm betting he brought Travis along as a back-up medic for when Eoin turns on them."

"Two from Steve and Thor's teams, Natasha, Stark, Banner, and two from your team, counting Amadeus. Why didn't Sam bring any of his own people? His lieutenant?"

Inessa shook her head, "That's what makes this all so difficult. Sam was the _last_ one to turn on me. He believed in me when no one else would- and I took that for granted. I pushed him away, hard, and made him look back over all that evidence with an angry eye. Then- then something happened that sealed the deal. Hell, if I didn't know any better I'd have turned on me too. His team didn't even get the chance to learn to hate me. He's probably left them on Earth to keep an eye on Wanda and Vision. I spent the last month working on them while I was looking for you and convincing them I wasn't a threat. Sam isn't listening to his own people anymore because they were counseling patience when he just wanted blood. I'm more scared of him than I am of all of them combined."

 _Amadeus: You're not going to tell him what happened to-_

 _Inessa: No. Not unless he asks. I want him to trust me. If he finds out about Noelle then he'll turn on me, guaranteed._

 _Amadeus: You don't know that._

 _Inessa: I do, because you turned on me, and you had a million more reasons to trust me than he does right now._

 _Amadeus: Nessie, I'm sorry. I'll never stop being sorry._

 _Inessa: It's alright Amadeus. The big bad was smart this time. If they weren't then I'd have figured it out sooner._

 _Amadeus: Figured_ what _out? Who's doing this?_

Inessa couldn't help it. Under normal circumstances she'd just close her mouth and refuse to speak, but she and Amadeus were in one another's heads. At his question the entire puzzle appeared, laid out perfectly, even with the multitude of assumptions she'd made based off of what evidence was available from the blood magic straight to the face of their enemy.

 _Inessa: Don't freak out._

 _Amadeus: So it was-_

 _Inessa: Yes._

 _Amadeus: And Thanos' Warlord is-_

 _Inessa: Yeah…_

 _Amadeus: It's-_

 _Inessa: I'm fairly positive, yeah. It's the only thing that makes sense._

He was surprisingly silent for a few moments. Bucky could see from the glint in Amadeus' eyes that Inessa was busy communicating with the body's owner, so he saved his question until her focus was shifted back outwards. Suddenly though she jumped and covered her ears, "Amadeus stop screaming!" she hissed.

 _Amadeus: WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!_

 _Inessa: No, we're all only_ probably _going to die!_

 _Amadeus: NO, WE'RE COMPLETELY FUCKED! WE'RE DEAD, GONE, KAPUT!_

 _Inessa: Now do you see why I don't blame you for turning on me?_

 _Amadeus: BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE WITH REGRETS?! Go ahead- hug Bucky again, kiss him, screw him, do whatever makes you happy because THE MOTHERFUCKING REAPER HAS ALL OUR NAMES ON HIS LIST!_

 _Inessa: Now you're just being dramatic._

 _Amadeus: YES, THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FIND OUT YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!_

 _Inessa: Can I talk to Bucky while you melt down? We've got to find this S.O.B, get out of here alive, get away from Sam, deal with a certain little traitor friend of ours, figure out a plan to survive the Warlord, and get our friend's back._

 _Amadeus: They're lucky. They're already dead._

 _Inessa: Amadeus…_

 _Amadeus: Go chat. I'll just be sitting here, reminiscing fondly on simpler foes… LIKE THANOS!_

"You've got your question face on," Inessa ignored the headache Amadeus was giving her and turned back to Bucky, who was blissfully ignorant of how devastatingly outmatched they were, "go for it."

"How many members are on each team?"

 _Amadeus: Oh snap._

Her heart sank. She knew where this would end, "Four. With Marie's addition we had even numbers across all teams."

He shook his head, "So why didn't Sam bring any lieutenants? Second in command- they'd be most out for blood and the rest could stay behind to keep the world safe."

 _Amadeus: Your luck is never this good. He's going to ask about Noelle next.  
_

"Travis is a lieutenant. He's one of the angrier ones. The others swore an oath- if anything happens to the leaders they have to focus on getting Earth's defenses back up. They count themselves as the leaders now, and Travis will lose that position since he came with Sam and broke the oath. You already know Amadeus is my lieutenant. I'm betting Sam brought him to try and win over the others on Earth who aren't so sure I'm guilty. If my lieutenant seconds my execution then any Avengers with a shadow of a doubt of my guilt will be more likely to support Sam- even after he's killed another leader."

 _Amadeus: Never. I've got your back now boss, I promise. Until I die a painful, agonizing, terrifying, horrific death._

 _Inessa: You just said 'ouch' and 'scary' two different ways, but I still appreciate the sentiment._

 _Amadeus: Appreciate away, because the next question he asks-_

"I get that this has all ballooned into something bigger than you anticipated," Bucky nodded to Inessa, "I think I understand why you were so angry when you found me."

 _Amadeus: Wow. Really? You're actually having a good day for once? He's not asking why Sam only brought Marie and I?_

Inessa flat-out ignored him, "I was running out of time. If I didn't get to you before Heimdall's summons… Alone this is suicide. Alone there is absolutely _no_ hope of us finding the others. I'm not even sure Steve, Nat, Clint, Tony, Banner, and Thor won't still blame me, if they're alive."

 _Amadeus: Knowing our enemy? Yeah, I'll bet most of them are still alive. Not Thor or Tony- they're not unusual like the others, but Steve and Nat for sure are good for some human experiments. Banner too, probably. Clint's at least a vaguely interesting oddity, ability-wise. He probably lasted a couple weeks- or had his eyes ripped out the first day.  
_

 _Inessa: Amadeus, we need hope right now, not reality._

 _Amadeus: Sorry Nessie, it's hard to control what you hear me think._

 _Inessa: Ellie will be done with her inspection of my body soon, then I can go back and you can be as pessimistic as you want._

 _Amadeus: I appreciate that._

Bucky had already decided to trust Inessa, but she was still cagey around sharing intel. Still, she was warming up, and that was better than blind hope for the future. At least now he had a grasp of Sam's forces, "Amadeus or Inessa- what can you tell me about Calder?"

Amadeus raised his arm, "Inessa with Amadeus adding in. Calder is one of Odin's guards. I'm fairly confident he knows Odin is-"she forgot she couldn't say. The damned curse followed her into a new body! At least Bucky already knew that-

 _Amadeus: LOKI IS ODIN AND THE FUCKING SHADOW KING?!_

 _Inessa: At last, a silver lining._

"Anyways," she could tell Bucky knew where her thoughts had been going, "He controls the Asgardians, but Amadeus says he's shifty, like he's trying to be sneaky."

"Yeah," Bucky nodded, "I've got a bad feeling about that one. I'll handle him if it comes to that."

"Alright," Inessa was content to let him handle whatever issue he foresaw, "there's something else we've got to take care of. I know the emergency procedures and Sam's routine- I know he's got Ellie scanning my body right now looking for me. When she doesn't find me, she'll look elsewhere just to be sure. Once she's done with my body, I can go back into it. Sam, however, is going to check JARVIS' protocols."

 _Amadeus: Wait, you're not saying-_

"What protocols?"

"The embedded comms. Tony installed a shit-ton of personal scanners after the Infinity War so the comms can be hacked to monitor vital signs and do scans of brainwaves. Basically? Sam's got a remote suit on this ship somewhere to act as a relay for the comms. That suit is scanning data from my comm. If anyone knows I'm not gone, it'll be JARVIS and my brain activity scans."

"So we need to destroy the suit?" Bucky was planning how to get out of the cell.

"No, and that's too obvious. JARVIS' scans are locked- only Steve and Tony together can unlock the medical data, it was a condition of the end of their war. Neither can access that unless the other is present. What Sam _can_ do, however, is ask JARVIS for Amadeus' status."

"I don't follow."

"JARVIS can't tell Sam if I'm still in the body or not, it violates that part of his programming. He _can_ however indicate if I'm gone or not by how he refers to Amadeus."

 _Amadeus: You wouldn't dare…_

Inessa tapped Amadeus' comm, "JARVIS, tone and cadence match. Identify and patch to system mainframe."

"Inessa Ryker. Shadow Unit Leader. Speaking through Amadeus Cho." The automated reply guaranteed Sam wouldn't be able to track this call through comms. It wasn't like a normal chat with JARVIS, it was directly accessing a part of his coding.

"Good. Now listen up- I, Inessa Nadya Antonia Emilia Ryker-"

 _Amadeus: DON'T YOU DARE!_

"-hereby vote in favor-"

 _Amadeus: I WILL SIDE WITH SAM AGAINST YOU, FOR REAL!_

"-of making Amadeus Cho-"

 _Amadeus: I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!_

"-leader of Avengers Black Ops Unit number two."

 _Amadeus: EVERYTHING YOU LOVE! I WILL PEE ON EVERYTHING YOU LOVE!_

"In the fourth and final vote before the explosion I abstained. Now my vote is cast. JARVIS, report the results."

"Unanimous vote achieved. The Shadow Unit has been divided. Amadeus Cho is now Leader of Avengers Black Ops."

 _Amadeus: YOU EVIL WENCH! EVIL! DEVIL-WOMAN! I HOPE YOU- ooh…_

 _Inessa: What?_

 _Amadeus: I just remembered what Leaders get paid. Kaching!_

 _Inessa: No more peeing?_

 _Amadeus: Not at the moment, no._

Bucky raised his eyebrows, "What did you just do?"

Inessa grinned, "Sam's going to try and get JARVIS to verify my 'death' by asking who Amadeus Cho is. JARVIS is going to tell him my old lieutenant is now leader of Avengers Black Ops. Sam won't think to ask the right questions to get JARVIS to show him that vote again and see that mine changed in favor. It's a smokescreen, but a damned clever one. Bucky, until this is over and you're back on Earth, can you be my new lieutenant?"

"Just don't tell JARVIS. Whatever he has me listed as cannot change, or else Sam will know something's up."

"Deal."

 _Amadeus: Wait, doesn't that mean I can order the others around? Even Marie?_

 _Inessa: You were a lieutenant, dumbass. You could always order them around.  
_

 _Amadeus: Oh yeah…_

 _Inessa: Travis lost his status, remember? You can boss him around too for fun._

 _Amadeus: Oh, it's a beautiful new world..._

"So what's your next move? Grab another body and get the intel we came for?"

Inessa shook Amadeus' head in the negative, "Too risky. I found Amadeus by his mark, but those are all fading now- fast. I can't see anyone else as strongly except for Geoff and he _hates_ me. We'd get our intel, but he could cause a lot of problems with my control in that body. Any struggle for dominance would tip Sam off too quickly- he could take off with you two and I'd be screwed."

"Does Amadeus trust you now?"

 _Amadeus: Utterly and apologetically._

"Yeah," she half-smiled, "but I had to show him everything. It would at least temper Geoff's hostility to do the same, but Bucky-"she shook her head.

"More sensitive intel?" Inessa nodded, "I get it, don't worry. I'm getting used to this."

"The fewer who know what I know the better our chances of finding Steve and the others. Geoff would be too obvious. I can _only_ trust Amadeus with this. He's a good enough liar and I didn't exactly have a choice in sharing. You? I need your actions and reactions to be as genuine as possible. It's the _only_ way this goes forward."

 _Amadeus: I disagree, but fine. Have it your way._

Bucky considered their options carefully, "You should go back to your body, protect it in case Sam decides to hurt it just to make sure you're gone for good. Can you keep your eyes brown?"

Amadeus' eyes abruptly lost their unearthly hue, "I think I can, yeah."

"Nadya escaped from Berny's weapon, but you probably know that already," he advised, "keep her back. If Sam gets a whiff of her here he'll _know_ you aren't gone."

"Okay."

"Amadeus- of the two of us you have the best chance of being allowed out of here to find the intel, considering they think Inessa is out of play. Now, I think I can get them to let you go, but it's going to be _very_ painful. Inessa, considering our history-"

"My history with the Winter Soldier," she corrected.

"-you should go before we begin."

"Oh no," she was adamant, "if that's how you want to handle this I'm staying right here-"

 _Amadeus: Nessie, it's alright. I knew it was going to happen as soon as he was dropped in this cell. The only way they'll pull me out is if there's a fight. He hits me around a bit, they feel sorry and let me go. It isn't like I could help you now anyways, what with you being dead and all._

 _Inessa: I'm not saying it's not a good idea, but I've got a much higher tolerance for pain than you. I can protect you so you don't even feel it. I've had a lifetime of practice._

 _Amadeus: Repeat after me, O Stubborn One:_

"He wants a test hit with me in the body to prove something," Inessa rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure, I'm really not comfortable with-"

"I know… I know. Just- let's just do this so he'll stop bitching and we can get going. Sam won't stick around here forever."

Bucky reminded himself this was the best plan to get the boy out of the cell. Sam wasn't fighting with Amadeus, only Bucky, who'd taken Inessa's side time and time again against him. Amadeus wasn't a threat, Sam just needed a push to force him to see it. Bucky pulled his fist back slowly, willing a better plan to come to mind, "Ready?"

 _Amadeus: Ready._

"We're ready," Inessa braced for the blow. When Bucky's fist connected with her jaw the explosion of pain as she was launched back into the wall sparked a memory. She clamped down on it before it reared up too far, but even half a second was long enough for Amadeus to get a vivid picture of their past.

"Are you OK?" Bucky helped pull Amadeus and Inessa back up and lightly touched where his fist connected, feeling for broken bones. Remorse was written all over his face.

 _Amadeus: He's going to have to work on his mean-face._

"I'm fine," Inessa ignored Amadeus. She rubbed her jaw just around where Bucky was hovering and practiced opening and closing it a few times. Nothing broken, but it would hurt like a bitch for a few days, "Amadeus was just proving why you kicking me out was a good idea."

 _Amadeus: The psychological ramifications on you are just one part of it, Inessa. Even if you protect me from the blows you can't shield me from what they'll make you see. I saw some of the footage of what Dennisson did to you in Astana after Steve made me your lieutenant. I can't- I'd rather take one hit at a time than take one and re-live four others that much worse. I know it's selfish, but-_

 _Inessa: It's not selfish, Amadeus. I didn't think about what could happen, I won't let you see any of that. No one should._

"I'm sorry Nessa," Bucky didn't know what else to say.

"It's still not your fault," she patted Bucky's hand to comfort him, "Just promise me you'll go easy on Amadeus? Nothing too bad?"

"I'll knock him out after the first couple of screams get their attention," he hated how horrible that sounded.

Amadeus always faced fear with humor, and this time it was no exception, _it's alright Nessie, it won't take long. I'm a screamer. Just ask-_

 _Inessa: I already know you and Kelsey had a fling, I don't need visuals or audio… OH MY GOD, STOP THINKING ABOUT IT! I CAN SEE THAT TOO YOU KNOW!_

 _Amadeus: That was payback for earlier. Now- SCRAM!_

"Fine, I'm going, I'm going. Ellie should be done by now anyways."

"See you on the other side?" Bucky tried to smile.

"I'll see you there. Good luck, and try to look scarier," Inessa squeezed Bucky's hand, then let herself slip away back into her body.

Amadeus sighed as he returned to full control of his body. It was starting to feel cramped in there. Bucky waited while he stretched and got his bearings again, "Ready, kid?"

"Hold on," something burned in Amadeus' eyes, a cunning Bucky didn't realize the boy possessed, "Inessa thinks you're safer left in the dark, I disagree. It's too dangerous to tell you anything outright, but I've got three things for you. A tip, a worry, and a riddle. Figure out the answer to the last one and you'll know half the story. Maybe more."

"This won't risk the mission?" Bucky wanted answers more than anything- but not if getting them meant killing any Avenger leader still alive.

"The first two are common knowledge amongst us, only you're out of the loop. The riddle- you've thought of it before, you must have! If half the stories about you are true you'd have noticed. You just didn't know how important it was. The plot-hole in Inessa's story."

"Go ahead," Bucky still thought this was a bad idea, but he couldn't resist.

"Your tip- there are three factions among the Avengers. The first and smallest believes that Inessa is innocent. She won over Wanda and Vision late in the game, but as far as I know it's just you, me, those two, and the Guardians right now in that camp. The second and largest unit believes Inessa is being controlled by the Shadow King- Loki. That's myself- formerly- and most of the teams on Earth and with Sam. They won't trust anything that comes out of her mouth, but they _might_ be convinced, eventually. The last faction is the most dangerous- those who believe Inessa did all of this intentionally. Sam, Marie, Geoff, and Eoin are the most charismatic- they inspire the rest to hate. They think Inessa planned Steve, Natasha, Clint, Tony, Thor, and Banner's deaths right from the second she got out of that cryo tube in South Korea. No mind control, no room for uncertainty. To them she's pure evil. Adjust your tone accordingly."

"Understood," Bucky had guessed that much already, but it was nice to have confirmation.

"Next, the worry: Inessa found evidence that suggests whoever the puppet master is," Amadeus knew _exactly_ who it was, but he made it very clear _that_ intel wasn't up for grabs, "they were trying to replicate her powers. _That's_ why Inessa won't go through the Valley, even to save herself. There's a chance she might not be alone anymore. No evidence has ever been found to back this up, but she's been right so far. I'm willing to be she isn't wrong here."

A chill crept up Bucky's spine. Now it all made sense- whenever he'd asked Inessa for information she'd looked away. He assumed she was breaking eye contact, shutting the conversation down- but the more he thought about it the more he realized that she wasn't just looking _away_ , she was looking into the shadows as if they might have ears. _That_ was why he'd never get the full story. _That_ was why she needed him lost in all of this- it was literally too dangerous to tell him anything of value.

"And now your riddle," abruptly Amadeus jumped forward and put his mouth to Bucky's ear to whisper, "Why did Nikolai Ryker risk everything to flee Hydra with his niece only to sell her back later without a second thought?"

Bucky's eyes widened as Amadeus leaned back against the wall. The boy was right- when he found out Dimitri Aristov was Inessa's recruiter _and_ uncle he'd been aghast. As he tortured the man to death he asked _over_ and _over_ again why he'd done it, how he could be so cruel to his own blood- a child he'd raised! Sometime between Aristov's last breath and the fight with Morris' cabal Bucky forgot his question- or decided it wasn't important anymore, "Dimitri's gone, how am I supposed to answer that?"

"It's a riddle," Amadeus wasn't giving him any more help, "figure it out."

"But-"

"Hit me," Amadeus cut him off and leaned against the cell wall, "we're on a clock, remember? Let's get started."


	26. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: 44 Days Before the Explosion**

"The Loch Nessa monster, fact or fiction?" Sam grinned as he rounded a bookshelf and saw her propped against one of the library windows with the last of the Asgardian tomes, "She's real!" he plopped down across from her and smiled, "How's it going, kid?"

"Great!" Inessa's enthusiasm was exaggerated to say the least, "I've got more than 7,000 people either missing or dead in just a couple months, I'm apparently peeling away from my body like a cheap window cling, my pack is increasingly out-of-control, Nadya's going berserk on Stark's tech for no apparent reason so he's not talking to me right now, and the Valley sprouted a lake who-knows-when and who-knows-why. I'm going to have to start handing out rafts each time someone wants to use a shortcut. Life's a peach!"

"I'm impressed," Sam nodded, "I have this faint awareness of you speaking but all I see is you sitting there waving your middle fingers around."

Inessa closed the book and groaned, "Oh good, that _was_ a great big 'fuck you', wasn't it?"

"The biggest," he was unphased.

"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that, it's just been…" she couldn't find the words so instead she tipped against the window and groaned loudly. It summed up her current mood the best, "and that's not even counting the bad blood between Steve and I… Clint, Vision, Tony- my circle of friends is shrinking by the second."

"You and Steve have issues to sit down and work through," Sam agreed, "but I wouldn't say there's any bad blood. None of them hate you Inessa, Steve least of all. He's just worried and wants to see that you're taken care of."

"Yeah, like how one would _take care of_ a rabid dog."

Sam lightly tapped her chin, a signal from the old days when she'd have her waking nightmares. Inessa lifted her head and met his eyes automatically, "We raised you better than to think like that. Was Steve a 'rabid dog' when you and Tony forced him out of the Avengers and into hiding?"

"We were giving him a break from the team. It was that or be locked up in some UN prison. This time it's different though!"

"Why? Because it's you? Nessie, I'll _always_ be on your side, no matter what- but you've got to believe me when I say what you and Steve are doing right now is just repeating the start of the last feud all over again, you've just swapped roles. He wants to help _you_ by giving _you_ a break, pass the distractions on to Amadeus so that you have the chance to figure things out here. He's not going to remove you from power. You'll never stop being a leader and he'll never stop being your friend. Vision agrees with him, isn't that reason enough to at least _consider_ this isn't as much of a witch-hunt as you think?"

Inessa rubbed her eyes, "Normally I'd say you make a very good point. Normally. We may have Thanos' Warlord bearing down on us though and someone is setting me up to fail. I'm not going to just roll over and risk playing straight into the master plan! Besides- Noelle is Steve's teammate more than mine and Marie- Amadeus is the only person on my team I can trust. The _only_ one. If I'm right about what's coming then I need him on _my_ team. Not leading another and leaving me with half-loyalties or outright hostility."

"Well, the only advice I can give you on that front is to work your issues out with Marie and Noelle. Your team needs a strong leader, now more than ever. Show Steve that the Shadow King didn't throw you out of whack and everything will settle. Hey," he nudged Inessa, "I've got a mission- a gimme from Natasha to get my team out and working. We're recovering a Hydra weapon tomorrow in-transit. Take the rest of today and tonight to work things back out with your team and then you lot join us. Piggy back on other team's missions. You'll prove to each Leader that you're fine and Steve _will_ notice. You'll win over the guys in his camp and all this split-team bull will quiet down until a more appropriate time- if at all! Okay?"

Inessa snorted, "Easier said than done. I can't just sit down with Marie and suddenly we're best buddies, and I can't work this out with Noelle overnight because I don't like that her loyalties are to Steve first and this team second."

"It didn't used to matter."

"Steve and I weren't on opposite sides then!"

"Look- is what you're doing right now- sitting _alone_ grasping at straws- making any progress?"

"Well… No, but-"

"So _confront_ the issue. You like to be subtle, like Natasha, but you need to be brazen and completely proactive- like Tony," he hesitated, "or a sledgehammer."

Sam's advice wasn't bad, she had to admit the idea of confronting Marie was appealing at this point. Amadeus couldn't find any proof that she had her brother's powers and, theoretically, if she was as tricky and manipulative as Inessa feared he probably would never find the thread that could unweave her web. Hydra records couldn't be trusted because all Marie would have had to do was tell them what to write and what to think, then _tell_ people they didn't remember her being there or being gone from home. _That's_ why psychics were so dangerous and why just about every scientific mind on the planet was trying to figure out how to protect people from them and their abilities. It scared them more than any other enemy.

Of the Avengers only Ellie, Manuel, Wanda, Vision, and Inessa had the power to resist someone like Marie. Even Travis was vulnerable. Hell- Amadeus may have found the proof a _hundred_ _times_ but all Marie would have to say is "You didn't see anything," and he'd forget it ever existed. Maybe even erase it for her… Maybe _that_ was what happened when her computer died and the only evidence they had on the Indonesian tip-off was lost.

"So, what's the game plan?"

"I'll work on Marie tonight, finally get to the bottom of this shit, and by tomorrow Steve and I will be back on the same side."

"That's the spirit!" Sam clapped her on the shoulder and smiled, "See? You can be distracted, but just don't let it define you. Got it?"

"Got it."

* * *

"Shadow Unit assemble- my place." Marie was helping Noelle with some cold-case missing monk issue when the summons came. Amadeus was alone in the server room two floors down. As the girls packed up their files he finished swapping out the anti-Inessa frequency for their dud one.

"Get started without me," his com was directed solely at Inessa, "I'm swinging by Ellie's room to get some _editing_ done."

"Since I can't say it later I'll do it now- thanks for making the change."

"No problem. If anyone asks I can honestly say I have no idea what they're talking about. Except for, you know, that change I made 5 years ago. I doubt I'll remember that though."

Noelle was a bit uneasy around Inessa ever since Steve ordered her to find Bucky, and she wasn't looking forward to going up there. JARVIS provided transcripts of the entirety of the Project Echo security footage and considering what she read so far she wasn't sure she could look her Leader in the eyes, much less stand in the same room as her. Especially since she'd be holding a binder filled with two years of torture, manipulation, and even rape at the hands of Hydra. All in the hope that at some point Bucky said _anything_ that could give her a hint at where he may have hidden or what sort of shelter he may seek. Who knew how long he played the Nomad before running? Who knew if his visions were even something they should care about?

Steve said Noelle would have been his first choice at a second Black-Ops leader, but now that she was getting a first-hand look at the kind of work and headache it entailed she had a good idea of why Amadeus was so traumatized by the notion.

Marie was anxious for a completely different reason. She'd been an Avenger for less than three months and spent barely any time around Inessa. She was polite and kind when Marie first arrived, but more and more lately things seemed to get getting frosty. Inessa was around enough since escaping the medical wing- in fact Marie had a sneaking suspicion she was being stalked. For her ever-watchful presence though Inessa never spoke to her. Apparently it was possible to be both hunted and avoided simultaneously. Whatever was wrong between them Inessa certainly wanted her presence to be _felt_.

 _If it even is Inessa_ , Marie thought as they climbed the steps. Steve seemed to be withdrawing support for her leadership and ever since Nadya went berserk on the entire Avengers Helius cache even Tony was agreeing with the decision to split the Shadow Unit. When the second vote came up a tie rumors swirled that Inessa would be removed as a leader entirely- but none of the lieutenants believed it. Being in the Shadow Unit, Marie found herself cut off more and more from Geoff and Kelsey- really any of her new friends on Tony or Steve's teams. All because of a Leader she barely knew who by all indications hated her.

Noelle didn't even knock before Inessa threw her door open. She had her fighting suit laid out on the coffee table already and was going over the mission details Sam gave her, "Tomorrow morning we're going on a field trip. Prepare accordingly."

"What kind of field trip. You know you're not medically cleared to leave." Noelle frowned.

"The kind of field trip with bullets. We're intercepting a Hydra weapon _en_ route. You can tell Steve we're going with Sam's team, it's totally safe. Except for the bullets of course."

"Why are _we_ going after it? Sam should have this covered," Marie was confused, she'd heard _Natasha's_ team mentioning a Hydra intercept- how did the mission find its way to Sam and then Inessa?

Inessa had been going over what she knew about Marie for the past _hour_ , steadily getting angrier and angrier. Her temper only flared higher now that the _traitor_ was in front of her, questioning her orders, "I don't know Marie, maybe because it needs to be done? Maybe because without Helius it's _exponentially_ more dangerous for the other teams on their own? Maybe because Steve's being a dick and needs to be reminded of how good I am at my job? Or maybe, just maybe, because I'm your leader and when I say 'go' you fucking start running." She was right in Marie's face, her voice low and dangerous.

Noelle pulled the new girl back a step, "Alright Nessie, cool down. She didn't mean anything by it. We'll be ready, alright?" this was perhaps the fourth time over two years she'd seen Inessa this angry. Backing away slowly was a very good idea.

"You go on ahead," Marie was pale and her hands were shaking, but enough was enough, "Inessa, can we talk for a second?"

Inessa stepped back immediately to admit her, "I was just about to suggest the same thing," she'd been back and forth for the last hour on whether or not to follow through with Sam's recommendation of getting her intel directly (granted, he didn't know that was what he was advising), "Maybe for a change I'll get some _answers_."

"I'd better come too-"the door slammed in Noelle's face.

"Well?" Inessa was letting Marie start this one.

"I- I get the impression you don't, um, like me… At all. Was it something I said, or did, or-? It wasn't intentional, I swear," her father always told her to _face_ her problems. Now that she was it was terrifying. She expected Inessa to say she was just stressed, nothing was wrong, maybe chide her for talking back a moment ago or apologize for the entire misunderstanding. Marie didn't expect confirmation.

"What gave it away?"

"Um, can I ask why? It's just- it kind of came on all the sudden after the Yggdrasil guy died and-"

"You know what else came on suddenly?! The Keponakan activation the _night_ you arrive. The tip-off that cost 3,200 people their _lives_. What else? Let's see- the assassin who killed my _friend_ , Asgardian books that _vanish_ when you're the only one in the Tower-"

"Woah, wait! You don't think I-"Marie's mouth was hanging open, "I didn't know anything about Keponakan until _days_ after I arrived! And the book thing? Yeah- I grabbed some! You called a mobilization, everyone went nuts, and so I started grabbing them to put back in the trunk so JARVIS could secure them! I didn't want to risk anyone stealing them!"

"You're a shit liar!" Inessa snapped, "You shouldn't rely so much on your powers."

"On what?! My ability to nuke a burrito at 100 yards?! How does that make me some kind of spy?!"

"It doesn't, until you add in that little, tiny detail about the _persuasion_."

 _That_ made Marie angry, "You think I- you think I've got _Kyle's_ power?! What the fuck?!"

"You're good, I'll admit that. How did it play out- you _told_ your mother to write the letter? _Told_ the kids what happened in that field? I'm almost wondering if Kyle even _had_ powers. Maybe not. Maybe it isn't _his_ work written all over your medical file, maybe it's _your_ work on _his_."

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Marie was beyond mad now, "Am I faking _this_ then?!" she yanked off her slippers and revealed the foot with two metal outer toes held on by thin leather straps, "Better tell Tony, he's making me a couple of robo-prosthetics. You should let him know I'm just faking the inability to turn without falling over!"

Inessa just shrugged it off, "You wouldn't even be the _tenth_ person I've seen willing to mutilate their own bodies for a cover story! That means _nothing_."

"Then tell me," Marie shouted, "if I'm so damned great at persuasion why wouldn't I just tell you to forget the whole damn thing? Why would I bother being a super-spy when I could just make you do what I want?!"

Marie wasn't expecting Inessa to grab her throat and throw her into the wall. She hit hard and was still dazed when Inessa spun her around and pinned her windpipe.

"Inessa, what was that? Open up!" Noelle tried to force the door, "OPEN IT NOW OR I'M GOING FOR HELP!"

"JARVIS- Avengers security protocol three-gamma!" a metal blast door immediately slid down over her front door, silencing Noelle's pounding. Inessa's eyes were burning silver when she turned her attention back to Marie, "Want to know a secret? Something you'll only learn being around others with similar powers? A PSYCHIC CAN'T FUCK WITH THE MIND OF ANOTHER PSYCHIC!"

"YOUR MIND'S BEEN FUCKED WITH ENOUGH I'D SAY!" Marie's anger made her judgement less than ideal. Her parent's voices were almost audible telling her she was doing nothing to diffuse the situation. Inessa grinned slightly and black smoke rolled down her arms, "What are you doing?"

"I'M GETTING ANSWERS!" she opened her hand wide and slammed it over Marie's face, breaking her nose. It was the same move she'd done when she used the Hulk to pass into Bucky's mind back when she was nothing _but_ the Shadow. Marie's cry of pain was almost lost on her in her rage. Inessa was done playing nice. 3,200 dead, 4,000 missing, Nadya as out of control as her pack, Ingvir dead in the park, the Avengers on the brink of yet another superhero civil war- she summoned all of her control and forced her way into Marie's mind.

Ellie taught Marie once that if a psychic ever tried to attack the key would be to pick a memory that is crystal clear and lock it in. It would only slow them down, but that's what was precisely needed most of the time- distract the enemy until your _team_ got to you. Through her anger and the splitting pain in her face Marie grabbed on to the first memory that presented itself-

Sitting perfectly still in the back field with a smile plastered on her stupid face. She was happy. It was a nice day, the sun was warm, the breeze was cool, and Kyle was cutting the heads off flowers, not bothering anyone. The memory was warped and twisted by Kyle's persuasions, but she saw more than just what he'd _told_ her to see. She was happy, in a sick, terrified sort of way. The sun was warm and the shudders that occasionally wracked her body were either due to a cool breeze or the jerking actions of Kyle. The flowers he cut the heads off with bolt cutters weren't flowers so much as her toes.

Inessa pulled Marie away from the wall and slammed her into it again to shock her out of the memory, "YOU WANT TO PLAY THAT GAME?!" she was going to fight fire with fire. She was going to give Marie Astana.

The metal sheet over the door slammed up abruptly. Inessa turned as Steve kicked in her door and charged in with Tony, Natasha, and Noelle at his back (and just about every Avenger behind them to see what the commotion was), "INESSA LET HER GO!"

"THIS BITCH IS WORKING FOR EITHER THE SHADOW KING OR HYDRA OR BOTH!" She shouted back, "I'M GETTING MY ANSWERS!"

"NO, YOU'RE NOT!" Steve drew his gun. A real one, "LET. HER. GO."

He was threatening her with lethal force. Inessa was stunned, "Who's side are you on?!"

"NESSIE! Look at what you're doing!" Sam shoved his way into the room through the press of people, "Let her go, then _explain_ to us what's going on!"

"THIS IS AN INVESTIGATION BY THE SHADOW UNIT, NO ONE ELSE IS NECESSARY!"

"INESSA THIS ISN'T HOW WE WORK!" Noelle lunged for her to shove her away from a gasping Marie but her Leader instantly produced talons and held them to her throat.

"You have no place in this discussion!"

"I'm on your team!"

"YOU'RE HELPING HIM HUNT DOWN BUCKY BARNES!"

Steve wasn't surprised she knew, he was surprised she'd yell it in front of the assembled Avengers, "That isn't the issue right now!"

"OH, IT'S NOT?! IT ISN'T AN _ISSUE_ THAT YOU'RE GOING TO FOCE HIM BACK INTO THIS FREAK SHOW JUST TO ASK HIM ABOUT SOME STUPID VISIONS?!"

"NOELLE!" Steve snapped at her.

"I didn't tell her!"

"DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT? DIDN'T TELL ME THAT BUCKY WENT NIGHT-NIGHT AND HAD A BAD DREAM ABOUT ME _KILLING_ ALL OF YOU?!" the younger Avengers were surprised to hear Amadeus' urban legend was real, but not as surprised as they were to hear _that_ tidbit. Even the leaders were shocked and took a step back.

"Who told you that?"

"I HAD THE FUCKING DREAM TOO! YOU WANT TO KNOW IF IT'S REAL OR NOT?! KEEP PUSHING ME OUT! WE'LL SEE HOW LONG YOU SURVIVE THANOS' WARLORD!"

Steve couldn't take the time to fight her on this, not with Marie pinned against the wall with blood pouring out of her face and down Inessa's arm, "WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT SHIT LATER, JUST LET HER GO! IF SHE'S HYDRA, WE'LL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT!"

"NO YOU WON'T! _I_ WILL!" Inessa released Noelle, "We're not done with this!" she kicked her into Steve and the others and let the black mist pour from her hand again and into Marie's head.

"EVERYBODY DOWN!" the Avengers ducked without question and, from the back of the mob, Clint fired. The arrow nicked Inessa's wrist- enough to make her let go but not enough to cause any real damage. She spun away from Marie and the other girl scrambled away towards the group. Sam and Natasha tackled Inessa and restrained her as she went for her teammate.

"DON'T THINK I WON'T GET YOU! BOTH OF YOU!" She fixed her glare on Noelle.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Marie's voice was nasal and she held her nose as Tony pulled her back away from Inessa, "YOU'RE NOTHING BUT SOME STUPID, INHUMAN _MONGREL_!"

"ENOUGH!" Steve's booming voice silenced everyone. He was breathing hard and his knuckles were _white_ , he'd give anything for a chance to hit something right now, "Inessa," he was struggling to get the words out through gritted teeth, "consider yourself on lockdown until we get this sorted out. You don't leave this apartment. No one in, nothing out."

"That's not-"

"JARVIS! AVENGERS OVERRIDE ALPHA-ECHO-DELTA! Inessa Ryker- you're hereby SUSPENDED from your post in the Avenges, INDEFINITELY!" Tony pulled Marie out and the Avengers on the landing scrambled to get out of his way. Natasha released Inessa immediately and ran after them- if there was a Hydra spy _she_ needed to look into it, "Sam, come on!"

"No, I'm staying with Inessa and we're going to _talk_ through this!" he was speaking to her more than Steve.

Steve stomped across the room and grabbed Sam's arm. He dragged him to his feet and pushed him towards the door, "NO ONE IN, NOTHING OUT, THAT'S AN ORDER!" he slammed the door behind him and the metal barrier slid down again. Alpha override- only Steve could give JARVIS orders now.

As soon as the door closed Inessa looked down at the blood on her hand. She remembered how it felt when the cartilage snapped and cracked, the heat of the blood. Inessa's hands began to shake violently. She didn't get up from where she was sitting. She killed in the name of justice and peace, she was cold when she needed to be, but never to her friends.

 _This isn't me_ , she didn't regret anything she'd _said_ to Marie, but where had the violence come from? And hitting Noelle like that? _This isn't me_ …

If she'd remembered, if she'd thought to look around her with her silver eyes still half-burning, Inessa would have seen the creature messing with her mind.

The same one Morris had set upon Steve six years ago.

* * *

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! It wasn't cooperating :)


	27. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: A.E. - Out-Fox the Wolf**

Sam leaned against the wall as Geoff and Travis carried Amadeus out of the brig. The boy's face was a complete wreck, but given the fact that _he_ made the frequency change that let Inessa escape them in New York and _he_ , the 5th smartest person on Earth (now that Stark and Banner were dead) refused to see Inessa for the snake she was, Sam was content to let _him_ persuade Eoin to fix his wounds. As if he could.

"So," Sam eyed Bucky as the man wiped blood off of his knuckles and onto his pants, "why shouldn't I kill you and be done with all of this?"

"You said your people would be making that choice," Bucky wasn't someone with a mission now, neither was Inessa. Everything rested on Amadeus at the moment, and since his only job was to stay alive until the boy carried it out, Bucky wasn't feeling much pressure. Sam would never kill him, no matter what he thought Inessa had done. He was a man of principles, a man of justice, and a man who was literally unarmed was no threat to him (well, technically he could still rip Sam's spine out of his back even with just the one arm, but that wasn't his M.O.).

"The thing is, I don't know yet that she's really gone, and I don't know what _you_ know about her master plan. There are three scenarios, the way I see it. One- you break out and go implement phase two of her plan. Two, she's already found a new body to play house in and one of my people is a time bomb, ready to go off at any second and bust you free. Three- Inessa's gone and you don't know jack. See, three _looks_ more likely than one or two, given what we know about Nessie, but the first two end with whatever the next phase is of Inessa's plan is activating and killing a lot of people, so I really don't want to make the wrong call."

"And you're talking to me because-?"

Sam shrugged, "Because I don't _like_ being in this position. I'm the leader of the Avengers now Bucky, the last founding member left-"

"Last second-generation member, actually," Bucky considered it, "actually wait, no you're not. You're not the _last_ anything." He couldn't resist pissing Sam off, not with everything he'd put them through, "You're not the last _original_ Avenger, all of those are _missing_. You're not the last of the second wave because that one includes _me_. You're not the last leader because Wanda and Vision are still _very much_ alive and, well- nope. I can't find anything where poor Sammy comes up last. With one notable exception- from what I've heard you were the _last_ to turn your back on Inessa."

"Let me guess. The boy riled you up and now you're trying to get a rise out of me? I lost _six_ of the best friends I've ever had, killed by someone I'll admit I loved like family, and now I get to decide which I'll regret more- killing you and finding out there was no phase two, or _not_ killing you and seeing thousands if not millions die in the days to come."

"You missed the one where you let me go _and_ find out there's no phase two."

Sam held up a scrap of paper between his fingers and Bucky's stomach dropped. He'd slipped the paper into Amadeus' pocket after the boy passed out. He didn't even see Sam search him when they ran in to find out what the cause of the screaming was, "I left out an option before when I was listing scenarios. There's a fourth I'd like to run by you. The fourth doesn't really include a provision of Inessa being alive or not, but it's where you play on the mind of a confused, angry genius and convince him to find your intel for you. Then I'm betting you bust out of here, probably grab Inessa's body, and run off, continuing your race across the stars. Given the fact that when we pulled you off of Amadeus Travis found this tucked into his pocket I'm betting _that_ is the correct guess."

"I don't know what you're talking about. The boy must have had it on him," Sam was holding a scrap of the note Fandrel stabbed Inessa to deliver- the one she threw in the trash and Bucky retrieved. He'd torn out the name of the traitor, hoping that the Collector or even Berny would have a way to translate it. On Peter's ship the trash was incinerated, she thought the note was long gone and he'd been so desperate for any intel he could get… He knew now that Marie was the traitor, the note was useless to him, but if it ever got back to King Odin then Fandrel could be executed as a traitor. Not to mention it outed Amadeus as his helper.

"Not one of your more convincing lies," Sam glanced out the cell door, "Calder, may I borrow your expertise for a moment?"

"What do you want?" the sour-faced man sneered as he entered.

Sam held the paper up for him to see, "Any idea what this says?"

"It's a name. Midgardian," he shrugged.

"Who's name?"

Calder peered at the paper, but did not touch it, he frowned, "Midgardian names do not translate well into Asgardian. Ours is a phonetic alphabet, we don't have the same characters your language does." He pointed to the first character, "That is a hard 'm' sound. It distorts along the vertical axis, so it is repeated. The next is 'ah', then 'rhee', with a strong 'e' sound."

"Ok, so that means-"

"Marie," if anything Bucky sure as hell felt validated.

"Isn't that one of yours?" Calder didn't wait for a reply, he had better things to do than teach Midgardians how to read Asgardian, and he could care less about their little squabbles. He'd kill them all soon enough.

"It's in Asgardian," Sam called out after him, "I'm betting it came from Fandrel or Hoggun, won't King Odin want to know if-"

"King Odin already knows," the Asgardian stopped at the door to reply matter-of-factly, "Asgard is already debating the Counsel's order to execute Lady Ryker versus simply capturing her to get to the bottom of all of this. They _won't_ like a member or two of Thor's Warrior's Three imprisoned for what was likely an act committed under the compulsion of an offworld child. The politics of Asgard are much more intricate than in your realm. King Odin will handle them."

"They may have _knowingly_ betrayed him, they could still be dangerous!"

"And so they will be separated and placed at remote outposts on realms far from their homelands. In a few years, when everything has calmed, I will put a dagger through each man's spine and call it the work of the Shadow King."

Sam was taken aback, "You're talking about murder!"

"The punishment for high treason on your world is-?"

"Execution, but-"

"This is simply a _delayed_ execution."

"And King Odin approves of that?! It isn't right!"

"I'm sure that keeps him awake at night."

Bucky snapped his fingers and breathed a sigh of relief as the fragments of memory clicked into place, " _That's_ why you seem so familiar! Jeez, it was really beginning to bug me, thank you. The tone, pitch, accent- and that's not to mention your _face_ , I almost missed it."

Calder shook his head and frowned, "Take my advice Sam Wilson, put a blade in _this one's_ back now and just say he tried to run."

"I'm going to put a knife through your eye," Bucky waved cheerfully as Calder left.

Sam sighed and rolled his eyes, "Alright, I'll play. How do you know him?"

"Oh no, it'll spoil the surprise. Let's just say we are both pretty well acquainted with his friend or cousin or brother- whatever they were."

"And you think I'm going to let you kill him? An Asgardian emissary?"

Bucky nodded, "And once you figure out who he is you'll let me out of here and give me the chance to prove Inessa wasn't the monster you all think she was. That honor goes to Marie."

"Inessa's _still_ trying to convince people Marie's some evil secret agent?" Sam rolled his eyes and began to shred the paper, "She tell you the girl has Pryor's powers? That's her favorite theory."

"That note came from someone who didn't know Marie, who couldn't have known Inessa suspected a traitor!" He was firing shots in the dark, but it fit with what he'd seen- Inessa hadn't been in contact with Fandrel since she was attacked in Niflheim and yet he wrote Marie's name on that note, somehow he figured out she was a traitor. If she had Pryor's powers, it would certainly explain how Sam was acting.

He just shook his head, "I'm not even humoring you anymore on this whole 'traitor' thing. We're professionals, remember? Steve, Nat and I took down SHIELD to expose Hydra, we took down the Winter Soldier to recover Bucky Barnes- and that's just three out of seven. Inessa kept her suspicions about Marie secret for a long time, but when she went after her we _all_ investigated. Every psychic, every contact every last one of us had- that girl wasn't on anyone's radar. The most dangerous thing Marie Richards has ever done was steal some kid's glitter-glue in their kindergarten art class. She's squeaky clean."

"But Inessa said-"

"Everything Inessa has ever tried to pin on Marie was based off of _one_ misunderstanding. Marie is innocent. The only thing she's guilty of is joining the Avengers when Inessa needed someone to use as a scapegoat while she made arrangements for whatever the hell her master plan was."

Bucky shook his head, "You're wrong. You're on the wrong side of this. She was your _friend_ and you turned against her when she needed your support!"

"You know everything, huh? Everything anyone would need to know to prove she's worth believing in?"

"Yeah, I do."

"How many Avengers per team?"

"Four."

"Who was on Inessa's team?"

"Inessa, Amadeus, Marie-" Bucky paused to think who the last one might be. Had Inessa ever told him?

"Yeah, see, with Inessa it's never about what she _says_ , it's what she doesn't say that gets you. Let me help you out," Sam snapped, "her name _was_ Noelle Martinez. She was an Avenger for about four and a half years. She's gone now, and it's all on your girl Inessa. Nah- you know what? I'm _done_ calling that thing by the name Nat and Clint gave her. Inessa was supposed to mean 'hope', what a load of shit!"

Sam's nose curled into a snarl and he walked over to Bucky to make his point, " _Nadya_. Nadya's the reason Noelle's gone. Nadya turned on us, _Nadya_ killed my friends, destroyed my home, and she paid the price for that!" When Bucky tried to speak he held up a hand, "Marie is on her way to have a nice little _chat_ with the host right now. If Nadya is really gone then we're done here and you'll ride in this cell all the way back to Earth- unless I throw you out the airlock into _space_. If she isn't gone though- if there's even a _sliver_ of her left in this world, then Marie will expose that and she'll get the honor of putting that bullet between Inessa's eyes."

* * *

"You know what? I like this, it's a nice change of pace," Inessa was focusing so hard on keeping her eyes brown she barely needed to fake the listlessness from before. Amadeus' body was able to hold her _and_ allow her to use a little power, but this body was different. Whatever exactly Project Helius changed in Emilie Ryker's unborn child, she was a live wire overflowing with power. Holding it back felt stupidly similar to holding back a sneeze.

It took a bit of effort to focus on Marie without opening even a peephole into the Valley. She was standing with her arms dangling through the bars of the cell, confident but weary, "You get to be the one inspected, pulled apart, and put back together again this time. All I need to do is break your nose and we're even! Well, at least until I prove you're still in there and you end up on the chopping block."

Marie popped her neck and watched the girl on the cot, "I almost feel sorry for you… In the same way you almost feel sorry for the lost little angel tossed from his home and uprooted from everything he knew and loved... Right up until you remember that angel was Lucifer." She shook her head, "Ellie says whatever is left in there is basically a vegetable. She thinks there's potential for growth though, once it recovers from being a meat-suit to a psychopath for twenty-something years. Sorry the boogie-man wrecked your body." She tapped one of her arms to emphasize the scarring on Inessa's.

"According to Ellie, you're just a sliver, but other than the _feeling_ changing you don't look too different from the autopilot Inessa would leave behind," Marie opened the cell door and came in. "See, before when you were out of body Ellie says looking into your mind was like looking into a big, empty museum. There were little things flickering on the walls- memory, emotion and the like- and each one led back into the Shadows. Now though, those memories are gone. The museum has been abandoned and the art is off the walls." She sat on the foot of the cot Inessa was propped up in, "The thing is, I don't think it _is_ abandoned. I think you just learned how to pull the decorations down. Assumptions like Ellie's get you nothing but trouble- I learned that from watching you, boss."

 _If you're ever going to be an Avenger, you really need to learn how to resist doing the monologue._

Marie reached out and took Inessa's head in her hands. When she spoke her voice was lower, darker, "You don't trust the man with the metal arm. He's not an ally, he's an enemy and you're going to do something about it to protect everyone here. You'll knock me out, take my knife, lock me in this cell, and go kill him. Then, when your mission is complete, you won't be able to think about anything but the friends you've lost. Sam will kill you, he _has_ to. The Counsel of Yggdrasil ordered it. You're going to do something for him though, to make up for everything you've already done. You'll kill yourself with that knife so he doesn't have to."

It was a plan worthy of a Shadow Unit member, Inessa was impressed enough to forgive the monologue after all. If Marie used her powers of persuasion on a body void of Inessa, then they would work. If she used them on _Inessa_ , they wouldn't. Sam _probably_ wouldn't let it go far enough for her to actually kill Bucky, but if Inessa moved there wasn't any room to make a change of course without giving everything away, and fleeing with Bucky now would guarantee they'd never get the intel they needed to push on and find the Avengers.

Luckily Inessa was older and wiser than the last time she squared off against Marie. She'd been too rash in her pursuit of the girl, and looking back through it all she knew the truth. She knew Marie was no psychic. Her brother's powers were his own. Marie wanted nothing better than for Inessa to move, to go against Bucky thinking she was protecting her cover when in reality it would blow it and guarantee her execution. _She's really grown up_ , it was hard to think this was the same person who nearly had a meltdown in the lobby of Avengers Tower over Anaiis' expensive clothing.

The memory of the Tower lobby and her friends there actually helped distract Inessa from the burning behind her eyes. She wasn't made to hide her power, she was made to wear it on her sleeve. Marie didn't wait long before lowering her hands and really _looking_ at Inessa for the first time- inspecting every twitch of her face, every blink. As she did, Inessa thought about Gunther and Brenden- the receptionist and the security guard in the Tower lobby. Her friends were the Avengers, almost exclusively, but she had a sort of alliance with both men and Anaiis. They let her play security guard whenever she wanted to spy on someone coming in and never questioned it. She didn't even know who they thought she was. She had Avengers-level clearance, but all of the members (save the Shadow Unit, of course) had profiles out there for the world to browse on the Avengers website. Every Avenger had their own action figure for sale in the Avengers store (though hers was a half-formed hell-beast and the other figurines for her teammates were generic and accented by hoods or shrouded in shadows- void of even race or ethnicity). It wasn't beyond reason to think that they suspected she was one of the Shadow Unit members.

What did they think happened? The Shadow went off its leash and killed the Avengers, that was the story that was already making rounds (the rumors began after Tony failed to post to his social media accounts for a record three days). Amid the uncertainty and chaos had anyone even spared a thought for the sometimes-guard who somehow had access to the Avengers floors? Did that girl die in the explosion as well?

Marie sighed and shook her head, "Either you're as good as Amadeus insists you are or you're really gone." She stood up and walked out of the cell, re-locking the door behind her, "You said once that with my powers- or what you thought were my powers- you could never trust that anything you learned about me was right. I'm starting to see what you mean."

She turned to go, then stopped abruptly, "That doesn't mean I don't think Inessa Ryker planned and carried out the murders of Steve, Thor, Tony, Natasha, Clint, and Bruce Banner. _I'm on Sam's side in this_. One-hundred percent. It just means that given your history and your ability to fake-out people I can't say one way or another that you're really gone for good."

As soon as Marie left the holding area Inessa began to move towards the bathroom. She couldn't do it anymore- she couldn't contain her power. It made her skin itch and burn- she wasn't used to having to contain it so much. Her movements had to be automatic, a facsimile of the autopilot the Avengers knew so well. She'd look to them as she always had- a void with some pre-programmed instinct telling her to go use the can- just like the blank shell the Avengers brought in from the Hydra asylum in South Korea.

The bathroom in the cell was small and bare- she was basically standing _in_ the shower just by entering, but she didn't really need anything fancy. The important thing here was that it didn't seem to matter who was holding you captive or how evil they were- bathrooms were always void of security cameras. The door closed behind her automatically and Inessa breathed a sigh of relief. Her brown eyes reflected in the mirror made her shiver- it was unnatural and weird. She relaxed her control and immediately silver mist began to bleed from them. It rolled down her arms and legs, filling the bathroom completely. Wisps of black mist joined the flood as more power than she'd ever contained was let loose. Her eyes weren't just silver, they were _metallic_ \- and it felt incredible.

On a whim, Inessa grasped her power and shaped it- formed the shadow-armor in its entirety. The creature that took her place was almost entirely humanoid- just a bit off in its proportions. Before she was restricted in her appearance by Nadya's form, now though she was free to twist and shape it as she saw fit. No more Glasgow-smile stretching ear to ear as the wolf's muzzle was flattened. Now she had more of a dog's muzzle with rows of fierce silver teeth. Her arms she made longer, matched the proportions of the old Shadow- but her talons extended even further. Without the benefit of a different body she was impeded by her own bones- no more double-jointed knees permanently bent for running at high speeds. The trade-off though was worth it.

She'd be a bit slower, but this armor was rock-hard and took almost no effort to contain. She didn't risk being locked out of her own body, her mind wouldn't slowly dull over time, and even the harsh lights in the bathroom didn't strain her abilities in the slightest. With a nudge the silver was replaced with inky black.

Inessa looked behind her in the mirror, to the loose black mist spiraling like steam. She could see the outline of a wolf's head there, watching. Inessa held her hand out to the side and the wolf stepped forward from the mist. Nadya nuzzled her mistress and growled slightly, "Don't worry, we're still a team. In fact, I might just have a mission for you."

* * *

"Clever little bitch," Sam shook his head in wonder as he watched the security feed Ellie set up in the bathroom. A full-scale mental scan took at least twenty minutes. Sam had given her five to see if the mind was empty, then ordered her to set up the camera.

"How is that possible? The gun should have worked- I saw it! It killed the other wolves," Berny rubbed his chin and shook his head, "Stark's research was sound. It should have worked. Maybe I stopped too soon, maybe one got away and helped her get back. Dammit!"

"JARVIS," Sam tapped his comm unit, "Pull up the plans for Tony's anti-shadow gun."

"The weapon is fully operational and experiencing no technical failures."

"That's not what I wanted to know. Humor me and let's assume _Nadya_ was human, what would the gun do?"

"As you well know, Master Stark calculated with 99% certainty that Miss Ryker-"

"-is a shade, yeah, I know. Like I said- humor me."

"If Master Stark were incorrect," the computer seemed offended by the mere _suggestion_ , "then it is possible exposure to the weapon may increase her power."

"How much?"

"Exponentially, sir."

Sam had to laugh again, "You said _she_ stopped Bucky from kicking your ass?"

Berny nodded, "She basically gave me a target I couldn't miss."

"And almost pulled one over on us. Tricky, clever little bitch."

"Barnes probably knows then," Berny growled, "and we already know he and Cho have something in play, we have to assume it's her plan."

"She wants the point of origin for a shipment going to the Collector. She'll have Amadeus head for your computers."

"I'll send some security bots to-"

"-don't," Sam interrupted Berny. "Nadya knows she can't fool us for too long. She must have some sort of contingency in place for that. If you increase security around _any_ part of your base, she'll know she's busted, and people will probably start to drop. We can't follow the normal patterns, not with her."

Berny considered it and nodded, "We change our routine, let this play out. Every plan has a make-or-break point, that stroke of luck everything is based on. We wait for that then take both Barnes and Cho out of play and she's lost the whole thing."

Sam began to laugh in earnest, "Change our routine!"

"Why is that funny?"

His smile was sly, dangerous, "Before you attacked with Morris we had a little prank war. Bucky just about killed me pushing me into a pit Natasha and Steve had dug for _him_. I was cursing, Bucky was laughing, and Steve just said 'Rule one of a prank war- change your routine'. Which means Nadya just caught herself in the same trap your brother always did."

"Which is?"

"Rule four- showers- and bathrooms- are sacred. Except when they're not."

Berny didn't find it as funny as Sam, "From what Clint told me, she's never been defeated in a prank war."

"She's never played against me," Sam half-turned to see Eoin O'Meara in the doorway with a matching grin on his face.


	28. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: 44 Days Before the Explosion**

Marie expected to be bound to a chair, trapped behind a shield, imprisoned in a cell or, at the very least, guarded by a Suit. Still, the steel-reinforced door was security enough in the bleak cement room. She was somewhere in a sub-basement of Avengers Tower she was fairly certain wouldn't be found on any blueprints.

When Tony led her away from Inessa's floor she thought everything would be okay. He barely spoke the whole time the med suit inspected her nose, gave her medication, and re-set the cartilage. After that she'd blacked out and woken up here- in the cell. It pissed her off to no end. She was the victim of an unprovoked attack and there would be hell to pay. At the moment running off to join Eoin O'Meara's gang wasn't sounding like too bad of a plan. From what Amadeus said he was one murder short of being a super-villain, but if this was how Avengers treated one of their own-

"Your pulse is off the charts," Natasha was simply _there_. No sound, no flash of light, no explanation, nothing. Had she been there the entire time Marie had? Was she waiting for the girl to wake up? Marie's skin abruptly chilled. Natasha didn't look like the nice, nurturing leader, she was terrifyingly cold and fierce- like a snake just before it strikes. Or, more accurately, a spider.

"Yeah, well, I don't like being underground," Marie didn't want to say what _really_ frightened her.

Natasha folded her arms and smiled, "You're lying."

"Okay."

"Let me help you out Marie. This is the point where you say something along the lines of 'Inessa's insane, I'm not Hydra', and I don't believe you and then we chat for a bit."

"Inessa's insane. I'm not Hydra."

"Once more, with feeling," Natasha chided, "your voice was shaking a bit on the end."

Marie shook her head, "Can we cut the preamble? Inessa's a _Leader_. You all think the sun shines out her ass and she says I'm a spy or a traitor or whatever. We both know where this is going." Her voice nearly cut out, but she kept her bravado up.

"You mean torture?" Marie's gulp was visible, if not audible. She fidgeted slightly as Natasha considered it, "There are three kinds of torture, you know. Well, when I learned they were called _interrogation methods_. Level one is for when you want to paint in broad strokes, quick and dirty. You don't care about quality, just quantity. Beatings, whipping, sleep deprivation, _amputations_ \- that's just a few of my favorites. You'll get your subject to say a thousand bullshit 'truths', but then you get a diamond in the rough."

Natasha walked over to Marie and looked her up and down, "That usually doesn't work when you only want a simple question of loyalty answered. Level Two is a bit harder. It's where you carve out the person living in the body and pour in your own creation. It's what James Barnes- who you now know is alive- was supposed to do with Nessie. See, the trick is that a hollow person cannot create another. Interestingly enough it's because they have no concept themselves of what it means to be hollow. They stop too soon, and the person grows back. It's ironic- they think showing kindness encourages someone to let go because _they_ would do anything for kindness themselves when really it just undermines what they've been doing. Lucky for Nessie, Hydra didn't know that rule."

"You're not hollow," Natasha nodded to herself, "nor are you the kind of creature capable of hollowing someone out."

"Is that what you're gonna do to me?"

Natasha smiled again, "Of course not. I don't need to _make_ you loyal, just to gauge _how_ loyal to us you are. Besides, it was done to me when I was little, so by my own rules I'm not fit to do it to someone else. So, Level Three then. That one takes a very special kind of monster, the kind who can extract _real_ truths. Complete honesty."

Marie couldn't suppress the tremor in her legs as she faced Natasha. She was determined to stay upright but her knees threatened to cave at any moment, "Let me guess, Level Three is something you're good at?"

"Extremely."

"I'm not Hydra. I won't stop saying it. If you're going to torture me at least do me the courtesy of not teasing me first." Marie was breathless and tears stung at her eyes. She wouldn't cry or beg. Kyle had done enough to her as a child that she knew once it began she'd lose all dignity and pride, but at least she wouldn't embarrass herself before it even started.

"I have a few questions first. Why don't you pull all of the heat from the air and freeze me now?"

"I'm not a killer, and I don't hurt people."

"You're in the Shadow Unit. I've got no doubt you've killed people."

"That's different," Marie shook her head, "They're evil. They're hardly even human. Those people hurt others and if someone doesn't stop them then good people suffer."

"Tie your answer to your brother." Natasha demanded.

"There were times, few and far between, when Kyle let me seem him for the monster he was, just to prove to me I couldn't do anything about it. He was right, I couldn't hurt him no matter what he was. After he died I remembered other things, things I'd caught him doing. Forcing kids to beat one another nearly to death, making people torture and torment others _for_ him so that the memories haunted them until they couldn't take it anymore and ended their lives…"

"Once, a homeless man wandered onto our farm. My parents let him stay with us a night, Kyle prompted them to let him stay with us a lot longer. He'd tell the man he was well fed and in need of nothing every single day. We watched that man die of starvation and thirst with food and water sitting right in front of him. I'm not a killer. I won't hurt you because no matter what you do to me I _know_ you protect good people. I didn't stop Kyle whenever he lifted the fog, and so everything he did is on me. I'll never make that mistake again, _especially_ not with Hydra!" She was half-crying, half-shouting by the end.

Natasha nodded her approval, "There it is! There's the fire. You've been Miss Meek since you got here, I was beginning to wonder if you were even Avengers material or more like the pacifists over at Camp Hammond."

"Fine. I'm glad we've established that."

"You should be… I'll give you a few minutes to collect yourself, then you'll be returned to the general Avengers population. Don't try to leave the Tower for a few days, but otherwise you're clear."

Marie held her breath as Natasha turned. On the one hand, yay no torture, on the other hand- "What the hell? If you're trying to lure me into some sort of false sense of security-"

"Why would I do that?" Natasha stopped with a hand on the doorknob.

"I don't know," Marie admitted, "but I know you're not just letting me go. What about- what was all that about 'Three kinds of torture'?"

"You just saw Level Three. _That's_ why it's the hardest- reading the truth between the words. Marie, we get new people a few times a year and almost _every time_ someone thinks they're Hydra. Torturing you would only end with you pissed off and in trying to figure out if you're an enemy all I will have succeeded in doing is _making_ you one. I'm not looking to turn you _into_ Hydra- or one of Eoin's sewer rats."

"So, you're really not going to- I don't know- skin me alive or something to prove I'm telling the truth?"

Natasha crooked an eyebrow, "Duh, we have psychics to read that," when she opened the door to leave, Marie saw Wanda on the other side with her eyes glowing red. Her legs finally gave out and she slumped to the floor, shaking.

"OK, I scared her, what did you get?" Natasha asked as soon as the door was closed.

Wanda shrugged, "A frightened person sees their sins laid out. She only thought of arguments and something about stolen glue with glitter in it. That is a thing in this country?"

"You've lived in the US for five years and you still haven't seen glitter glue?"

"No, but I do not look for it. Does the theft matter?"

"Probably not. How old was she?"

"Five."

" _Definitely_ not then. Besides, the stuff is like a dollar. I'll put some in your Christmas-Hanukah-Ramadan-Kwanza-Whatever stocking this year."

Wanda glanced to the door, "She is clean of any Hydra involvement, but we can never discount the possibility that they have ways of blocking my power. Inessa is not a person so quick to violence."

"If it even _is_ Nessa anymore… If I were one to gamble then I'd bet that blood magic was some kind of mental link. Inessa may be betraying us herself without even realizing it. You know how Inessa loves burying riddles in her words. It's never about what she says outright… I don't have an answer for her claims as far as the Keponakan attack goes, but if this Shadow King has access to Inessa's mind then it's within the realm of possibility to assume he piggy-backed her flair-out across New York and turned those shadows into doors."

"And the point of setting her against Marie? Coincidence or an intentional distraction?"

"The timing is too convenient for an accident. Either she _was_ planted by our enemies, or this is just Inessa trying to warn us- like maybe she can't _say_ she's the traitor but she _can_ say there is one, and this whole attack was so out-of-character it could be another hint that she's not the one in control. You know how Inessa thinks- sideways. With her it's never about what she says, it's _why_ she says it the way she does…"

"But if Marie _is_ as innocent as she appears, and Inessa is _not_ wrong that she is being set up, then this may all be a distraction. Not for us though, we _know_ that blood magic is the true key. We _know_ it isn't entirely Inessa in there." Wanda hated voicing her greatest fear, that she was losing her best friend to some insidious enemy.

Natasha had an equally dark feeling, "No, not us. It's a distraction for _her_."

"So the Shadow King's plan is somehow in Inessa's control. He is her puppet master, and as long as Inessa is not focused then he is winning. How do we get in front of this?"

"We skip ahead in the story."

* * *

 **42 Days Before the Explosion**

Vladimir hated the incessant rain in this corner of Russia- it was unnatural. To his eyes it looked like simple fog, perhaps a soft drizzle, but within moments of leaving the base he was soaked through and shivering- and they were traveling under the cover of trees! His boots squelched in the slick, grasping mud of the forest floor and threatened to come off a time or two. There was a reason the only sounds produced by their group were the grunts of the oxen and the muttered curses of the soldiers.

It was the Avengers fault. Once, not long ago, Hydra could move her weapons on the roads in armored convoys quickly and efficiently. Ever since the rise of that _Shadow_ though they'd been forced to think up new solutions. Convoys were hit on the main roads, so they moved to country paths. Then their trucks were targeted by missiles or EMP blasts that rendered them useless- so now this was what they were reduced to. A hundred men and eight oxen pulling a cart.

 _Avengers. Terrorists!_ Vladimir spit on the ground. They called themselves heroes, yet they were too stupid to see Hydra for what it was- a peacekeeping force! With the world united under one banner, one rule, it would be such a better place! No more crime, no more suffering, no more disorder and war! Yet thanks to the Avengers instead of " _Savior_ " and " _Heroic_ " Hydra was called "Cultist" and "Nazi". They knew nothing! The sainted founder of Hydra, Red Skull, _used_ Hilter to fund his research, _used_ the Nazi death machine to increase the ranks of Hydra and build something greater than those bigots could have ever dreamed! They did not care what your religion, disability, skin color, or sexual orientation may be, they only cared about _order_ amid the chaos the world was creating for itself!

The mark of a true Hydra visionary, his captain told him, was the ability to see everything from two sides- even if the other side is as evil and twisted as the _Avengers_. In this area though Vladimir had to admit defeat. He could not understand the incredible ignorance of those who would claim to be heroes. _Oh well_ , he tried to shrug off the dark mood that had descended upon him, _once this weapon is delivered to its new home even those "heroes" will be lost to history._

Commander Strauss released intel through her most secure channels that the weapon would be moved on September 6th, all a show. The _real_ move was set to happen on the 3rd, but issues transporting the device pushed them back a day. Still, the Avengers would arrive too late to prevent this phase of Hydra's glorious comeback, "The Shadow has been cutting off Hydra's heads for six years," Strauss announced via comms to the soldiers as they marched, "it is time for the monster to see just how large the beast has grown! Cut off one head- two more shall take its place!"

"You're correct, to a degree," another voice joined in on their encrypted frequency, one Vladimir did not recognize, "see, the trick with a hydra is that the two heads can only grow if you forget to cauterize the stumps. Also, there's only one _Alpha_ head. Cut that one off and the whole thing dies… Oh, and by the way? Your logo isn't a hydra, it's an octo-skull or some shit."

"Amadeus, do not taunt the prey."

"Lupe for the last time- you don't give me orders."

"Well then as a fellow lieutenant then let _me_ tell you to stop taunting the targets."

"Danvers, Santiago, and Cho- how many times do I have to tell you three to play nice?"

"Who are you?!" Strauss demanded. The Hydra unit kept pushing forward- they couldn't stop for long in this mud or else the cart would stick and the oxen would begin to sink. All soldiers began to fall back towards the weapon, making themselves a smaller, deadlier target.

"Duh, isn't it obvious?" The first boy's voice came back, "We're the Avengers."

"OPEN FIRE, SPRAY THE TREES!" Vladimir knew his commander was acting now on fear, but he was a soldier, meant to obey. The Avengers weren't in the trees, even as he fired he knew they wouldn't hit anyone. This enemy wasn't _stupid_ when it came to tactics. At least he would grant them that. The group didn't stop firing until they ran out of ammo- did that idiot Strauss _want_ to make them soft targets?!

"Come on, did you really think that was going to work?"

"Cho, I swear to god, stop teasing the Hydra soldiers!"

Noelle, the peacemaker, tried to explain her lieutenant as best she could to Sam's, "Inessa lets us play with our food."

"Guys, I don't care what you say, as long as you ATTACK!" At Sam's interruption the Avengers kicked into gear. They dropped from the trees _above_ the Hydra agent's heads and went into overdrive.

Carol Danvers, Sam's lieutenant, was as worthy of her title as T'Challa was of his. As Warbird she made a name for herself with her abilities to predict her opponent's moves and absorb the energy of her enemies bombs. As _Captain Marvel_ she became a legend almost as prolific as the Leaders. She was Sam's tactician, one of the best in the Avengers- so basically she was the one Inessa would take out first in their Prank Wars to protect her undefeated streak.

Miguel and Amadeus were _too_ alike, and so naturally they were rivals. Santos' ability to transform into lightning and control electronics was something Cho was incredibly jealous of- and his zipping through Hydra's ranks frying half of them before they got a real shot off drove the lieutenant wild. His job was to secure the weapon and hold off until Noelle could get there- the only one in their group with the super-strength necessary to free the device from the bolts holding it to the ox cart.

If the soldiers were freaked out fighting _lightning_ and _Captain Marvel_ , they just about wet themselves when Lupe Santiago shot out of the trees looking like a silver half-panther, half-demon. Vladimir was one of several Hydra agents who fell under her claws, certain it was the illusive Shadow that cut them down ("silver" and "monster" were about the only two things they consistently heard about the Shadow).

Noelle fought through Hydra's ranks as Lupe turned her attention on the oxen hooked into the cart. Rather than kill them- which would just make a huge mess, she sliced the straps holding them and let the terrified beasts bolt straight into Hydra's lines. Noelle used her silver spear to pole-vault over two beasts and speared a man through the face as she landed. She left the soldiers and their weapons to Sam's team and climbed up onto the cart as the other Leader descended, firing red beams of light in all directions.

"Hold!" he called out. The last of the Hydra agents were fleeing into the trees, abandoning their post. Lupe, Miguel, and Danvers watched them run and waited, listening, "Amadeus, this is starting to feel a bit trap-ie. Figure out what the hell that weapon does and deactivate it. Noelle, get it ready for transport." Sam tapped his comms, "JARVIS, get the transport suits to our position _fast_. I don't want to be here when the shoe drops."

"The suits have been recalled to Avengers Tower, they will be unavailable for some time," JARVIS chimed.

"WHAT?!" Sam was furious, "JARVIS, who recalled the suits?!"

"I do not know sir, an executive order has been issued."

"WE'RE DEAD IN THE WATER WITHOUT THOSE SUITS! GET THEM BACK HERE NOW!" Sam was beginning to hear a suspiciously rhythmic _thud_. Lupe changed her form to something slightly larger- a jaguar. Miguel readied his lightning-form, but remained human to listen.

"We're surrounded," Carol kept her voice low and watched the trees, "At least three hundred men in full tactical gear.

Sam swore and hit his comms, "Steve, the Hydra weapon- it was a trap. We need extraction _now_!"

"What about your suits?"

"Some jackass called them back! You had better be under attack…"

Steve sounded perplexed, "We aren't. I'll have Tony look into it. Meanwhile I'll have Geoff start ferrying your team out-"

Hydra erupted from the trees at once and opened fire. Sam immediately began to corkscrew, flinging bolts out randomly in all directions. Miguel ran laps around Noelle and Amadeus- they were the least bullet proof easily. Lupe and Carol met the horde head-on, "WE DON'T HAVE TIME! HAVE INESSA PULL US BACK!"

"That isn't an option!"

"THEN WE'RE ALL DEAD!"

Noelle's voice joined in on the call, "I've got the bolts undone but Amadeus doesn't have time to work through this thing's OS- let Inessa loose and I can carry it through to the Tower!"

"DO YOU PEOPLE NOT GET 'SUSPENDED'?!"

"DO YOU NOT GET 'DEAD'?!" Sam was pissed (and dizzy as hell).

Steve swore in _very_ colorful 1940s language and the comms clicked off, "You don't think Steve would let us all die here just because he's mad at Inessa, right?" Amadeus tried to make light of the situation. He'd brought his hacking gear. While he was _excellent_ in hand-on-hand combat, hand-on-bullet was a bit more than he could handle.

A bullet _pinged_ off the weapon's casing right next to Noelle's head. Lupe took two shots in the arm as she ripped off the arm of a Hydra soldier, "LET US HOPE NOT!"

* * *

 _This isn't me_ , at some point the words flickered in her mind. They were barely more than the shadow of a dream, but that was what she needed at this point. A dream, a hope, a sliver of a prayer. Her mind was buried under the Shadow King, under Hydra and Marie and endless questions with no answers. The Shadow King was one player, but so far nothing but time and those Asgardian books tied him to Marie. As to who the little traitor was working for, Hydra was the only obvious answer, considering her brother's affiliations. Inessa _knew_ they were linked, they had to be, but something nagged at her mind, told her they weren't the same side of a coin but two pieces in a much larger puzzle.

Sometimes, when the world overwhelmed her with _what ifs_ and _who-done-its_ , it helped to write out exactly what she knew. No suppositions, only the cold hard facts. 'Shadow King bad' and 'Marie traitor' weren't exactly inspiring any 'Eureka' moments as she stared down the index cards she'd taped to the wall. All she had was ' _This isn't me'_ playing on a loop in her mind, like her subconscious was screaming at her. That or she'd finally found her way to the funny farm.

"Well, you look _awful_ ," Inessa jumped slightly and sent the picture frames she was half-buried under sliding. She was so focused she didn't hear the metal barriers slide up to admit Dr. Terrance Ward- Trauma- her shrink.

 _Dammit_ , "So did you come to bust me out or are you Steve's lackie?"

She didn't get up to greet her doctor. The walls of her living room were bare, the pictures pulled from the frames, and even with the little landslide she was still buried underneath them. Terrance adjusted his coal-black suit and closed the door behind him. Instantly the metal shield reappeared. He seemed unconcerned and slid down the wall to sit beside his patient. "That's fair. Someone he cares about is acting like a loon and spontaneously beating up Avengers, how _dare_ he let her doctor know."

"This doesn't concern you. It's about-"

"I know what it's about. I got an earful of it from Steve and Sam on the ride over from Camp Hammond," his tone was always even, soft, and never harsh or unkind. It was why she was willing to meet with him six years ago. He was an honest man. He would never try to trick her or trap her.

"If you talked to them then you know this has nothing to do with Astana. No Astana, no shrink."

Terrance lightly jostled his patient, "Since when do we have _that_ rule? The only rule we have is you see me every week, and I've been letting it slide for the last couple of months so you could focus on your work. Now, how do you know it's got nothing to do with Astana?"

"Ok, I'll play. How does this have _anything_ to do with that place?"

Dr. Ward's eyes flashed and the sofa slowly began to morph and change. It turned into a large, clear plastic table complete with blood drains and a metal bar at the top to which leather cuffs were hooked. The pillows molded together to form a perfect copy of Inessa at sixteen- pale, bruised, bleeding from wounds too numerous to identify and most of all _blank_. Empty, void of life. The Inessa Hydra put into cryo.

"You don't see any similarities?" he twitched a finger and the image changed only slightly. The table turned to stone, the gutters flowed with blood, and yet the girl resting on it hardly looked different. Older, yes, but what were fresh wounds on the old Inessa were spirals of bloody runes on the new one. The similarity between the two was eerie, "Plus, you know, the rule of my powers is that I can only show you what you're afraid of, so I think it's fairly pointless to deny this is an Astana issue- at least in part."

"You've gotten better at controlling your powers," Inessa nodded approvingly, "no more students going postal and killing each other because of them I take it?" _This isn't me._ It was a cruel, evil shot and even through the annoyance and yes, anger, she felt a pang of guilt.

"Don't change the subject," Terrance shrugged off her jab and let the illusion shatter, returning the couch to its original form. "All of this is giving you some flashbacks, huh? I called Amadeus on his mission, he says you barely lead your team anymore."

"No he didn't."

"Is it true?"

"Yeah, but he wouldn't admit to it and give Steve more ammo. Did that jerk tell you he pulled a _live_ gun on me? An armory full of icers and he chooses live rounds. Real supportive."

"I personally don't care," Inessa shot a glare at Trauma, "What? I don't. I don't care what's going on between you and Steve, the politics of it all. It's why I never became an Avenger. I only care about _you_ right now. You're smart- probably the greatest strategic mind in the world and one of the greatest in the _Realms_ too. I don't need to know that Steve is pointing guns at you, I only need to know why you put him in that position. Unfortunately, in this case, your fear might be to blame."

"Not fear, frustration. I know something _huge_ is in play, I just don't know what. Marie is part of it, I know she is and Steve wouldn't even give me the chance to prove it. She must have gotten to him, to all of them."

Terrance shrugged, "Or _they_ got to _you_. What's the better strategy- falsely pit _all_ Avengers against _one_ , or give them a flimsy decoy enemy?"

"Decoy enemy," her response was instantaneous.

"Not what I'd have chosen."

"You're a shrink, I'm an Avenger, trust me. They thought I was their enemy once before and they came after me so fast it was the Second Battle of New York before they realized Dennisson was the threat."

"Was it? All they were worried about was saving _you_ , helping _you_. The Shadow was in direct opposition to that, Dennisson was just a byline. You were your own biggest enemy back then, perhaps the Shadow King's theft of your body isn't the only similarity between your first days with the Avengers and now?"

"You're not helping."

"I'm not trying to," Terrance pulled off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, "or at least I haven't begun to yet." Again he waved his hand. This time it was the end-table that morphed into a tall man with lanky brown hair, dead blue eyes, and a metal arm, "I can summon his likeness, do you know what that means?"

"I'm still afraid of him," a tear rolled down Inessa's cheek as she looked up at the Winter Soldier. Her fear was no longer that of a child or of a victim, it was dread.

Terrance watched his patient closely to make sure she was still in control of herself. If he could create the image of _his_ fears at least one of them would be treating Inessa. He could see everything that scared her laid out clearly, but there was no way for him to know what her greatest fears were and what her True Fear might be- the one that would make her lash out irrationally. That inability to sort what he saw was what cost one student at Camp Hammond his life (and why group therapy was now strictly powers-free). A girl like Inessa didn't have many fears- most were from Astana- but he tried showing her the Avengers dead once and all it seemed to do was make her _stronger_.

"You're turning your fear of Bucky Barnes into a roadblock to your own investigation. You struck a member of your own team over treason but then you _threatened_ another who is only trying to help bring Bucky in to clear your name."

Inessa frowned and broke eye contact with the image of the Winter Soldier, "Bucky? Where did you get that from?"

"Are we pretending that's not here?" Terrance nodded to the mirage.

"That's not Bucky," Inessa rolled her eyes, "it's the Hollow Man. Bucky was a friend, a fellow prisoner in Astana who I cared about. He tried to help me escape, no matter how many times they tortured him away. The Hollow Man was my enemy. He's the person I'm scared of."

"You're afraid bringing Bucky back to the Avengers will bring the Hollow Man back?"

"Bucky left to kill our enemy. If he relapses- if we bring him back before he's ready- then the Winter Soldier will come back, and he'll only be stronger."

"I can see well enough to know you're not scared of his prophecy. Every other Avenger has Bucky's description echoing in their minds- but not you. Why do you think that is?"

Inessa actually laughed at that one, "The vision was _sent_ to me. That means at some point after all of this happens I'm standing with Muhammad and he passes it back to me- probably. He wouldn't do that just to torture me all these years. He's warning me about something, giving me a chance to stop it from happening and _that's_ what I'm trying to do right now!"

Terrance considered Inessa's words very carefully. He felt something strange in the air, something unnatural and not quite there. As her attitude turned more towards anger it appeared, "Don't take the Oracle's vision as a warning, take it as a clue. A sign of what will happen if you _don't_ confront what's happening head-on, in a nonviolent way this time. It's showing you what _will_ happen to you and the ones you love if you let yourself get buried under this vision."

"I hate to break it to you _Trauma_ ," she knew his hero name would irk him, "but that sounds a bit like a warning."

"Alone, this Tower burns, you lose everyone you love, and those that don't die will turn on you… But with James Barnes you find control again- your power and your footing. My recommendation is that you find Bucky now and just have a chat. Don't talk about the case, just catch up, find out where he is in his fight, and see if it doesn't bring back a piece of your mind."

"Ah, I think I'm getting it now," just as Terrance suspected, the angrier he made Inessa the stronger the sense of _something else_ got, "I take it you ran this by Steve already and he's totally fine with me leaving to track down Bucky?!"

"So?"

"Since everyone else is so damned happy to forget that _he_ told _us_ to keep clear I guess I'll just have to be the one to _keep him underground_."

"Calm down Inessa," the fear in the room was doubling, tripling- but it wasn't coming from her. The images in Terrance's mind were disjointed and impossible to grab onto long enough to even pretend it was possible to manifest them. There was at least one other creature in the room, maybe more.

"Calm down?!" She stood up abruptly, cracking several picture frames as they fell onto one another, "Someone I _trusted_ is using my own doctor to try and get me to do his dirty work. This is low, even for Steve. No wonder you didn't care about what's going on here- you're already on his side!"

Terrance scrambled to his feet and tried to clarify the images he was seeing. Knowing someone's fear was most of the battle towards identifying them, "I'm not on anyone's side!"

"BUCKY BARNES IS GONE AND I WILL DO _WHATEVER_ IT TAKES TO KEEP HIM SAFE FROM STEVE AND ALL THE REST OF THEM!"

Since it was the worst possible moment, Terrance was not at all surprised that Steve came over the house comms shouting, "INESSA, SAM'S TEAM NEEDS EXTRACTION IMMEDIATELY! AMADEUS AND NOELLE HAVE THE HYDRA WEAPON!"

"STEVE, DON'T! WE'RE NOT ALONE IN HERE!" Terrance shouted desperately, but the apartment's intercom wasn't what was broadcasting, it was Inessa's embedded comm.

"TURN OFF THE FUCKING SPEAKERS IF YOU WANT TO SEE THEM ALIVE THEN, ASSHOLE!" Inessa called over Terrance. A second later the nearly imperceptible _screech_ of the Anti-Nessa frequency cut out and Nadya exploded into the apartment, snarling. As angry as she was, as out of control as her rage had become, Inessa wasn't going to let her temper throw away the advantage of the Avengers using the wrong frequency against her. She gave up her secret- they knew she knew about Bucky's visions, that she'd had them too- but this was one trick she was keeping firmly up her sleeve.

Inessa reached out to the far side of the world, looked through the Valley at the distant pillars of white mist, and opened a door to let them through directly into her apartment (mostly so they wouldn't land in the middle of the silver lake she was _fairly_ certain was poisonous). Inessa watched from the shadow of the trees as the group was surrounded and called out to them with a _roar_. Nadya dove through the portal to rip through the Hydra forces blocking their escape and Inessa held out her hand to show them the way.

Lupe and Miguel were first, then Noelle- half buried under the weight of the massive black box that was the Hydra weapon. Amadeus and Carol Danvers covered her escape with Sam, the only Leader, bringing up the rear. Nadya took out a handful of Hydra agents who attempted to follow into the portal and Inessa closed it with a snap- tossing Nadya back into the Valley in the process. The Wolves had a way of avoiding the silver lake, her friend was in no danger there.

Inessa turned back to her apartment and brought her eyes from the portal and the Valley. When she turned back to the rest of the group Sam was spinning around frantically, tapping on his comms. "Noelle? NOELLE, DO YOU COPY?!" Amadeus had his tablet out and was searching through frequencies for Noelle's comm already.

Santiago, Santos, Danvers, Amadeus, and Sam-

Noelle- and the weapon- were gone.

* * *

SURPRISE! Apparently the trick to getting scenes to work themselves out is to give up on them :)  
So no new chapter for a week or two since I will be in O~R~L~A~N~D~O~ but the next one will be AWESOME! Inessa versus Eoin- Black Ops leader vs. _Almost_ Black Ops Leader, a deadly take on the Avengers Prank War!


	29. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: New Alliances**

Daisy Johnson didn't like being ordered to this meeting any more than she liked, well, everything that was going on. Hydra activity was surging, there were reports of renegade Inhuman elements carrying out attacks on civilian populations, and when all was said and done she'd been getting 4 hours of sleep at a time ever since Avengers Tower went _boom_. Adding a pow-wow with Wanda Maximoff, Terrance Ward, Peter Quinn, and who knows who else? Meetings like this, with all Powered factions, tended to mean very bad things. And very bad things tended to mean she'd get _less_ sleep.

The fact that the meeting took place in some cavern in Madagascar didn't help either.

Valley Base Camp had been relocated underground and with everyone already on site it looked like some kind of carnival- or, rather, that scene in the third "Lord of the Rings" movie where all the armies of Rohan join together to answer Gondor (or, rather, Gandalf) and their call for aid… _I really need to spend less time with FitzSimmons_ …

Daisy was relieved to see members of Camp Hammond coming out of the tents to greet the SHIELD delegation as they arrived via teleporters and, in Daisy's case, Vision. After the Tower exploded Camp Hammond had gone to ground- forty Inhumans, Enhanced, and Inherent Gifted, many of them just kids. Directors Coulson and Hill didn't worry about them, they figured Terrance had them squirreled away somewhere, but confirmation was more than welcome. She nodded to him as soon as Vision let her go.

Wanda was on the far side of a central bonfire with Sharon Carter at her side and the Avengers- make that _surviving_ Avengers- stretched out behind her. Camp Hammond gathered behind their lead shrink, two people in cloaks (seriously?) sat patiently on a log, and a flat screen gave them a webcam view of Peter Quill on his ship's main deck. Daisy sighed and took the last empty bench. Bobbi, Lincoln, Mack, and Agent Garza fell into place behind her.

"What's with all the hush-hush Wanda? Why are we here? I'm sure I don't need to clue you in on what SHIELD has been dealing with since you guys lost control of your mutt-"

"We're not starting like that," Terrance sat down and stared at Daisy until she looked away from his pitch black eyes. His students watched the SHIELD and Avengers teams anxiously, but took their lead from him. None rose to her taunt, "Wanda- the Scarlet Witch- is now High Commander of the Avengers. She deserves as much respect as you would afford Steven Rogers. May he rest in peace."

"Fine," Daisy was irritable and ready to get back to HQ already, "just say whatever it is you want to say so we can head to work. Hydra hasn't been this active since the _late_ Grant Ward was leading them." She'd never admit to the _exhaustive_ background check's she'd run on Terrance to ensure _they_ weren't related.

Behind Wanda, the Avengers Lieutenants were shifting and staring at the hooded figures, it made everyone uneasy to have them there, unintroduced, "I didn't call any of you here to talk about Nadya Ryker. Sam has taken a team of his own to- well, it doesn't matter. If Inessa was right and she's successful, no lieutenants will need to rise to Leaders. If Sam is right and _he's_ successful, then he'll kill her and this all ends." Daisy noticed her voice hitch on the word _kill_. It was clear enough what outcome she was hoping for- even if anyone in the cavern didn't already know she was Inessa's best friend.

"Something big is coming, and we've got to be ready. We'll include provisions for everyone who's _missing_ , but don't count on their assistance." Wanda looked to her husband who reached out to squeeze her hand, "The Shadow King is going to move against us and try to claim our Realm as his prize. We have adequate technology designed by Stark after Inessa first fought in the Realms- we can see our enemy, but without Asgardian reinforcements we won't survive. And that is just the Shadow King's threat. If Thanos' Warlord comes for us we're dead. Alone we cannot stand against him."

Daisy shook her head, "Asgard won't help. They didn't help when Thanos attacked, they won't help us fight some underling. We'll just have to cope-"

"No," Wanda looked over to the cloaked figures. She held her hand out and Sharon stepped forward. Hesitantly, she set a notebook into the Leader's palm, "This was written before Inessa was captured by the Shadow King. Are there any who would doubt the loyalties or mental state of Inessa Ryker from _before_?"

A few- mostly Sam's team- refused to meet her eyes, but most seemed content to let her continue, "This notebook contains her theories and concerns of Asgardian leadership, conversations she overheard, and pieces of intel she has gathered that are not pertinent to any open cases… Before she was taken, Inessa expresses concern for the rule of King Odin- namely if he really _is_ the one sitting on the throne of Asgard."

 _That_ certainly set everyone murmuring. Only Vision knew the notebook had been altered, that the entry Wanda was referring to was written _after_ the capture on Niflheim. Still, it was a good lead, and the people needed to know (or at least think) they could trust it. Vision stood then and a hush fell over the assembly- a tall, purple, android-man will do that to a crowd, "There is reason to believe that King Odin has been replaced with an imposter by none other than the Shadow King. This deception, it appears, may go back to before Inessa was ever brought to the attention of the Avengers. Before, even, the fall of SHIELD and the rise of Hydra. The real Odin may be a prisoner in another Realm."

Terrance looked down and studied his hands intently. Daisy noticed the shift in body language- he was trying to go unnoticed, "So if it's not Odin, who is it? And why haven't the Asgardians noticed? They've been around for thousands of years and you're telling us _Inessa_ figured out he was a fake in the approximately _zero_ amount of time she spent in his presence? I'm not buying it Wanda, I'm sorry. At the very least Thor would have known."

"Inessa was not the first to realize the Allfather is not as he seems," the smaller of the cloaked figures stood and slid back her hood. "It is good to see you once again, Daisy Johnson."

" _Sif_?" Daisy's jaw dropped and Bobbi actually looked surprised for the first time _ever_ , "What are you doing here?" She barely stopped herself from asking what King Odin's _bounty hunter_ was doing there. Sif and Daisy were on a first-name basis, sure, but they weren't exactly pals…

"Your Realm needs the aid of Asgard for whenever Thanos' Warlord attacks. All the same, Asgard needs the _real_ King Odin returned to his throne."

"If he's been missing that long he's probably dead."

"He isn't."

Mack's patience wasn't exactly in peak condition at the moment, "Are we starting another round of Guess-Who-Is-Or-Isn't-Dead? It's not a fun game and no one is ever happy when it's over."

"We believe Loki sits upon the throne of Asgard," Sif challenged. "He is spiteful, yet eager for the approval of the Allfather. He will have King Odin somewhere easily accessed by him and him alone. Loki must always have a _captive_ audience for his antics. There is a faction within Asgard who believes as I do, and your Lady Ryker stumbled upon the truth on her own. Your people help us retrieve King Odin and restore him to his throne and we route Loki and his forces from the Realms once and for all. If Lady Ryker is unable to stop Thanos' Warlord as she has promised, then I am certain the true Odin Borson will extend the protections of Asgard to your Realm and aid in the defense of your world. We were not here when Thanos attacked, but we shall not let Midgard stand alone in war again."

"Don't you have someone who can see where everyone is?" Lincoln this time. Daisy was beginning to get the impression only SHIELD didn't know what was going on. Even Peter Quill was keeping unnaturally quiet, "How do you lose a King?"

"This is true, Inhuman," the second figure spoke with a deep bellowing voice, used to being heard over large crowds. Everyone shifted back slightly as Heimdall himself joined Lady Sif in standing before the assembly, "So if I cannot see my King, there is only one place he may be."

"The Nightmare Realm," Terrance pushed his hair back and stared instead at the flames, "you want to send a search team to the Nightmare Realm."

"It is not a Realm of the Bifrost, and yet powerful sorcerers may access it. I believe Loki has an ally there guarding King Odin and keeping him from my sight. He must be retrieved as quickly as possible."

"So why are we here?" Daisy frowned, "There's no way you don't know about what's going on out there Wanda- you're hiding in a damned _cave_. You know we can't just drop everything and go on a hunting trip!"

"Daisy, as pressed as SHIELD is do you not think the Avengers are fighting _every day_?" Sif hissed, "You may only fight the flood for so long before you attack the storm that brought it."

"We don't attack storms on this planet!"

"Regardless," Heimdall, like Vision, was a peacemaker, not a battle-monger, "without the true King upon the throne of Asgard it is only a matter of time before Loki begins moving his minions to earth. You are fighting a two-front war. Do not let it become three."

"For their own protection," Wanda called out over the argument before it could progress, "Camp Hammond will be relocated to one of the Avengers satellite facilities. If a war comes you will all be safe there. As far as the rescue of King Odin is concerned- we are _asking_ for volunteers- no more than one for every five people from each of our organizations- and we will not force anyone to join who does not wish to. Daisy, you are right, we have a world to protect, but just as Sam has his mission- just as Inessa has hers or _thinks_ she has hers or whatever you believe- we have one we must undertake as well. This does not require any of you to take sides for or against Inessa Ryker. This is taking a mass-murderer from the throne of another Realm and building an alliance that could very well save us in the future."

"An alliance you should have had all along." Sif was the first to suspect Odin was not himself precisely because of how he treated Thor for helping the Avengers. She _knew_ the true Odin would help these people- and they certainly needed it.

"Count me in," Terrance mumbled it- hardly the image of a powerful leader, but he wouldn't meet Wanda's eyes.

"Terrance, you don't have to-"

"Morpheus is the most powerful Lord in the Nightmare Realm- if Loki stashed King Odin away, it'll be in his fortress and you know it… If you're going after my father, I should be a part of the raiding party."

"Your mother gave her life to bring you from the Nightmare Realm," Vision reminded him- as if he needed it, "you needn't return to that place."

"I'm going." He didn't want to, and he didn't want to convince Vision to let him, but he couldn't stay behind. His father was a monster, the very definition of a villain, and Terrance Ward couldn't very well expect Camp Hammond to follow him if he let the fear of his past control his actions now. At the age of ten his mother sacrificed herself to send him through to Earth. If someone was finally going to kill his father, he'd be there to make sure that sociopath was really dead.

They didn't have time to debate his position in the raiding party. There was still something they needed to discuss amongst themselves, "Discuss the proposed attack and decide who would like to join. Again remember- none of you are required to go. Lieutenants, you are prohibited from joining in this mission, you're all we have left of our leadership." Wanda pulled something from her pocket and set it down. A shield appeared around the fire-pit and all noise deadened instantly- a cone of silence. The new and improved model altered particles of light so it became impossible to read lips. Only the heads of each organization (and Sharon) could hear and properly see what was going on.

Peter spoke up as soon as Wanda straightened up, "Sif- _Lady_ Sif, pass on to Fandrel that his note got to Inessa… It nearly went _through_ her, but no permanent damage was done."

"Loki is keeping him imprisoned for what he did to aid her," Sif hissed, "he could not share the intelligence he gathered with any others."

"Good thing I fished it out of the trash," Peter held up the Asgardian document and Sif stepped around the fire to examine it in the monitor, "the missing blob here was a name, I think. Bucky cut it out of the note when he thought I wasn't looking."

"Fandrel discovered the identity of another being such as Lady Ryker," Sif frowned as she read through the page a few times, "An… acquaintance? An Avenger?"

Sharon was doing her best to keep an open mind- especially since this was Asgardian intel, not something Inessa provided herself, "Could it say a teammate?" she and Wanda shared glances. _Could it say Marie_ was what she really wanted to ask.

Sif considered it, then nodded, "Fandrel wrote the note in Low Asgardian- an ancient form no longer spoken. Inessa learned it, but it is much less precise. Literally it says "one who is close". That _could_ mean teammate."

"She accused a member of her team of treason against us," doubt and guilt pulled at Sharon's mind- could Inessa have been right all along? Steve's death- did she share the blame for not listening when she should have? _God, what have we done?_

"Turn the page over," Sif commanded. Peter flipped the sheet of paper and she read quickly, then swore violently and spat on the ground. Heimdall growled and stepped back. His hand tightened around the hilt of his broadsword.

"What does it say?" Vision regretted not working harder to program Asgardian into his language database.

Sif closed her eyes, "Fandrel identified the Warlord of Thanos. He is well known to Asgardian forces- someone who appeared suddenly only a few decades ago. We call him the Blood Ghoul. He is a dangerous man- and a dangerous enemy. If he is truly a Child of Thanos, and if Inessa was correct in her belief that he is targeting your realm, you need King Odin's help _immediately_."

"Blood Ghoul?" Sharon's face was haunted. She turned to Terrance, who still looked like he was deeply concerned with his palms, "Terrance- can you conjure an image of what Steve was afraid of? Even though he's-" she swallowed hard, "even though he isn't here? _Terrance_!"

"Wh-" he looked like he'd been shocked back to life, "yeah. Yeah, just- what specifically?"

"The last person he saw before he was frozen."

Terrance frowned, then lifted a hand. The smoke above the fire warped and changed into a hideous face- a caricature of a human. Sif nodded, "That is him. Your leader knew the Blood Ghoul?"

"He knew him," Daisy wished she were outside of the sphere of the cone with Bobbi and the others… Actually- she wished she could seal _herself_ in the Nightmare Realm where she'd at least be safe from that _freak._ Maybe Morpheus would let Odin have a cell-mate. Someone to keep him company. Wanda trembled and pulled Vision's arms around her to chase off the fear and the dread. The SHIELD leader tore her eyes from the head floating over the fire and looked back to Sif, "In this Realm we call him Red Skull."

* * *

Eoin and Inessa's showdown will be in Chapter 26, I needed a bit more time to perfect it.

Special shoutout to the top-reviewer of "Project Echo"- AgentofSassArwenFolchart221B - I managed to pull SHIELD in after all!

Also- Florida was AWESOME!


	30. An Unhappier Announcement

Thank you to everyone who sent me encouraging messages, and thank you to everyone who sent prayers/well wishes for my grandfather.

Unfortunately, his condition was too far gone for doctors to do anything and they have taken him off of life support.

He was a great grandfather and he will be very very much missed.

~Kristen


	31. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: 41 Days Before the Explosion**

Noelle had no idea what was about to happen when she stepped into the void that led through the Valley. It was automatic at this point- when the shadows open you go through, no questions and no hesitation. No time for, "Do I trust this?" or, "Is this the only way?" Whatever issues she might have with Inessa they lost all meaning the second that doorway opened. She took the weapon and ran, fully expecting to come through the other side wherever was deemed safest for the mission's end.

But someone else had a mission too.

She made it as far as the Valley. Inessa could open the path so close together her feet never touched the silver venom lake, but in the span between them a new path was laid for only a second. It nearly killed her. Her skin felt like it had been marked with a hot brand, then frozen solid. She shivered uncontrollably and locked her hands around the weapon to protect it as the universe was jerked around her. It was a bastardization, an incomplete door stretched farther than should have been possible by a thin connection that hadn't existed for more than a few weeks.

"Are you insane?" Noelle's temper flared over her better judgement. A golden marble throne room solidified around her and she was more than happy to dump her cargo- cracking the silver floor in the process. A new shiver ran up her spine and she glared into the darkness behind her for a moment, " _Half-breed_."

"We don't fight," the familiar deep voice did little to reassure her. The echo of her father's footsteps reached the room moments before he did, "Save it for your enemies." With him he brought the beacon that pushed back the psychic barrier he'd used to shield her mind from the Avenger's probes. The mirage life- the one the heroes took as canon- slid away and left only _her_.

She felt the cold ebb slightly and the _creature_ left, "I don't see why we need that _thing_ ," it wasn't the first time she'd protested, "I could have undergone the procedure."

"Our advantage is Inessa Ryker believing she knows precisely what is going on. If you are changed, do you not think she would notice? Her _perception_ of what is true will win us our war. If she figures out the truth-"

"I know," Noelle held up her hands in surrender, "that is why I agreed to trust your judgement. I just wish I could trust our new _friend_."

"She is older than you," he reminded her, "and she has been loyal to me far longer."

"You're obviously not accounting for the cryogenics."

He sighed, "Rushing his plan was Sebastian Morris' fatal error. That is why he was only my second, a _recruiter_. This is not going to turn into another Berny Barton scenario."

"Forgive me if I can't trust a plan I don't know."

He gently grabbed Noelle's arm to stop her from pacing before she could really get started, "What would Inessa Ryker say?"

"The plan most likely to succeed is the one no one knows about."

"And?"

"And questioning that is a sign that you've lost faith in your leader." Noelle shook her head and put a hand over his, "I'm sorry. We're close to the end game, I just want this to be done with."

"Because you are nervous?"

Noelle nodded, "I've seen her do amazing and terrible things. She's a genius, and her genius is strategy. We are so close now, this is the breaking point of your plan, and if she figures it out or if she convinces the Avengers to trust her then we will _never_ get this close again. I'm sorry, but I _am_ nervous. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course," he released her arm and pulled her into a warm hug, dispelling the cold from her abrupt and sloppy transport, "if you weren't nervous you'd be a fool, and I didn't raise you that way. Your sister had no fear, and she's nothing more than a stain on the rock outside of an Avengers facility now. That fate is not going to be yours. You are a beacon. You are what Sebastian Morris did not have. He sought the wrong child of Hydra."

He released her and she smiled at last, "You have two traitors on her team. Marie could be useful, but Amadeus Cho will never turn."

"He will. They all will… Noelle, my child, I will not tell you all of my plan, but I would appreciate your assistance on the next phase."

"Anything."

Her father smiled and turned to think, "An Avenger must die, and Inessa will be to blame. Call it a preview of sorts. Something only she could accomplish, something that would cement her guilt and turn even the most loyal against her. Even Amadeus Cho."

It was a tall order, even knowing the Avengers as intimately as she did. Noelle wracked her brain and tried to see the problem from every angle, "Motive is going to be the hardest part. Any death involving the venom or the Valley will turn them against her, but Amadeus will keep looking for a reason to forgive her. If you want to turn him, set a motive."

"What would you do?" he walked over to the Hydra weapons case and inspected the outside.

"T'Challa," she answered quickly, "strategically he's the best target. He and Inessa have a history- a single date that ended with a mutual agreement to never try it again. That's the closest she's ever gotten to anything non-platonic with an Avenger and it would be the easiest to spin into a love affair gone sour. Inessa never dates, barely leaves the Tower on anything _except_ business, and even inside the Tower her movements are difficult to follow. T'Challa dies, Inessa denies an affair and anything she says will be taken by the younger Avengers as protesting too much. The older ones will think it fits their puzzle perfectly. Maybe T'Challa noticed behavioral changes and challenged her or was going to reveal she wasn't as perfectly in control as she claims."

He tapped the control panel and smiled as the machine _hissed_ and began to decompress, "T'Challa's death adds pressure to the Avengers. Charge Inessa with his death, or they will have the _new_ Black Panther, his sister, and the entire kingdom of Wakanda turn against them. You're right, of all Avengers, he makes the most strategic sense."

Noelle rolled her eyes, "If you think I can't hear a 'but' coming-"

"-but," he winked at her as the machine tipped to allow the door in the top (the side facing the ground) to open, "Inessa is very much the queen of strategy. She'd see it for what it was, Amadeus would as well, and who knows how many other Avengers. The doubt would still be there. No matter how T'Challa died, his death would make _sense_. She's already voiced to them her suspicions that Thanos jumped _my_ gun and attempted to be the conqueror before the armies were loosed. If it makes military sense then it might fuel the fire she's set."

"So someone who doesn't make sense," she shrugged, "pull a name out of a hat? How do you want me to decide? I can cook up a narrative no matter the victim."

Silver goo slid out of the box onto the floor in a thick mass. It was rotten, congealed, and rancid. Noelle put a hand over her mouth to try and bury the stench in the smell of dirt and forest still on the sleeve of her combat suit, "Who makes no sense and perfect sense, all at the same time?"

"Sharon Carter? Strike for Steve's heart?"

"Strategic."

"Daisy Johnson. Not an Avenger, but the one responsible for Thanos' death."

"Strategic."

"Eoin O'Meara, someone she's threatened to kill anyways?"

"Strategic."

"This is why you're the planner," she gave up, "you have a target in mind, you always have, since before you woke me up and built the credentials I'd need to get into the Avengers. Who makes no sense and perfect sense at the same time?"

He tapped the side of the container and something larger slid to the floor- something twisted and half-dissolved. A caricature of a living creature. The silver was nothing like Inessa's poison, it was something dangerous, something burning. Noelle suppressed the urge to puke as it stirred on the ground like the abomination was waking up. She stepped back from it and it seemed to shift. If the melted, disfigured upper portion was a head, and the trunk a torso, it would be turning to see her.

Two impossibly thin appendages held it up. Long tendrils hung from it to the ground as it dragged itself towards her. She stepped slightly to the side to get out of its way, but it followed. Noelle glanced up at her father to see his reaction- pride, fascination, and a sliver of ice.

 _Who makes perfect sense and no sense at all?_ The Avenger Inessa already threatened. The one who'd vanished mid-trip with a top-secret Hydra weapon. The one with just enough psychic training and built-in defenses to keep that blasted fool Ellie from seeing the lies.

When Noelle tried to run the creature attacked. It moved faster than should have been possible and tore into her calf with a strength she'd never have guessed it possessed. She screamed as it ripped at her, pulled out her tendons so she couldn't run, bit into nerves to send shock-waves of pain through her body. The creature was in no hurry to kill her. The slower the death the better. Noelle screamed herself raw, but nothing could spare her from the agony and horror.

"If it's any comfort," her father came over to watch with a dark fascination, "your sacrifice guarantees me victory."

A small piece of her mind was calm enough to remember the final escape open to her. She forced her mouth open just a fraction further, prepared to bite off her own tongue and swallow it. The creature wanted her to suffer, but she could be free sooner. Her father _clicked_ his tongue once and, before her mouth closed, the monster reached in and tore out the problematic muscle for her.

"Turn her head," Johann Schmidt advised his new _friend_ , "you don't want her drowning in her own blood. Not for a few hours still. The worse it is, the less they'll look." It obeyed, then returned to its bloody work.

Sin thought she was the pinnacle of his creation, when really she was nothing more than a means to an end, a failed experiment. Noelle was victim to the same hubris. She believed herself important, but for the wrong reasons. She was most important like this- with her strangled howls spraying blood across the floor and the whites of her eyes all that were visi- oops. Well, the _white_ of her _eye_. _Oh, never mind_ , _at least it left the back half in her head_ , "Don't be greedy," he advised the feasting abomination before it could remove the rest of the eyes, "shock, remember. Half an eye is worse than no eye. And leave the left cheek, it was always her best side."

Noelle had thought this was the make-or-break point in their plan, and she was right. Turning the last of the Avengers was a monumental task, and he'd only win with a bit of a sacrifice. Besides, it was just as she said- there were two turncoats on Inessa's team. Two was too many.

* * *

**Noelle is * _a_ * traitor, but not * _the_ * traitor. So far no one has guessed that individual's identity :)


	32. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: Calling the Bluff**

"Berny, can I have the access codes to this thing?" Ellie was more than a little confused by Eoin's assignment. It seemed, well, rather mission-critical, and in her experience on Natasha's team jobs like that were something the main planner took care of themselves. Eoin _swore_ though that whatever he was trying to pull off had to be done mostly by others, that his direct involvement crushed the chances of success, so here she was. Working with computers… Yeah, that was a smart idea.

"It's 'popsicle'. The sub-directory code is 'fudge'."

Ellie giggled as she typed, "Let me guess- craving?"

"Big time," Berny was working on something in the navigation system behind her, "Clint always sends- sent- a shipment via Quill, but it's never enough… _was_ never enough."

"I'm sorry," she didn't know what else to say in the abrupt silence.

"It wasn't- until you all got here I never had any trouble with tenses… I've seen more death than you could dream of, I spent most of my life trying to kill Clint, but…"

She focused on the mission, but kept up with Clint's little brother, "It's easy to forget, out here. For me it's just like being on another mission. Earth was harder for us in the same way we're more difficult for you. He was never here. He was on Earth. With us here, you almost expect to see him too, and back in our bases we all felt like our leaders were at a meeting, about to come home. That's why we all moved into the highest floors of the Tower we could. It was crowded and uncomfortable, but being in our bases without our friends- that's too much."

"Yeah," Berny sighed, "truth be told, I don't think I'll ever go back to Earth. Not just because of Clint and Nat… I know she did this to them, I've heard the evidence and I'm behind you 100%, I shot her for God's sake… But I keep waiting for Inessa to figure it out. To snap back and have some answer, some clue that makes all of this make sense…"

Ellie shrugged as she typed, "Of everyone on this team I think I'm the closest to being objective, if it helps, and I did most of the scans on her mind. I can answer any questions you might have, fill in the blanks."

"Let me be the first to say you did a shit job of digging around in there while it still mattered." There was no venom in his voice, and he even reached back to give her shoulder a squeeze to show he didn't mean anything by it.

"You're not the first."

"I'm sorry, you don't deserve that."

"She was increasingly hostile, paranoid, defensive… I don't know what happened, but just before she killed them something changed. It was like she saw something we didn't, and she just shut down. All I saw on the last sweep, before she threw me out, was dread, resignation, and rage. So much rage it almost washed everything else out. The Shadow King put her on the warpath. She couldn't stop what he was doing to her. Sam says she planned it all from when she was in Astana, maybe even before, but if it helps, most of us don't believe that. The Inessa we knew would fight to the death to save us. A part of her might still think that's what she's doing."

"But who is controlling her now?"

Ellie completed her assigned task and locked the computer down once again. She went to Berny's side and put a hand on his shoulder, returning his kindness, "Does it matter anymore? Before dinner tonight, if Eoin's plan works, she's dead and all of this ends. We go back to Earth, show the Galaxy that our Leader's deaths don't diminish us, and if the Shadow King comes we finally get our revenge- for Clint, Nat, Tony, Steve, Thor, Banner, and Inessa. Even for Noelle."

"If Eoin's plan works."

"It'll work," Ellie put on her convincing voice to bolster his hope, "she's already dead. She just doesn't know it yet."

* * *

Once Ellie and Berny were away on their tasks, Eoin sought out Marie. Fresh from her turn at trying to provoke some sort of response from Inessa, he located her in the kitchen and dining area of Berny's space station. It was fully equipped with all Earth appliances as well as a handful probably only space-bound travelers knew how to operate. The newest Avenger wasn't there for cooking, though, she was there to charge her battery.

Marie stood near the back, chewing on her nails distractedly as she held one hand in the center of a tall flame. She wasn't paying attention to what was going on around her. Eoin didn't appreciate that at all- she didn't challenge him when he walked in, her eyes didn't flicker to register his movement, hell- she probably didn't even know he was there! For no reason at all she was staring at the wall, lost in thought, and completely open to attack. This was someone who was supposed to be a trained Avenger (granted, a newer one, but still)! He wouldn't have even allowed her into his sewer gang!

"If you're scowling because I'm now paying enough attention to you, then you can go fuck yourself," Marie still didn't look at him but apparently her peripheral vision was better than he gave her credit for.

"What are you doing in here?"

"Preparing," Marie curled the hand wreathed in flames into a fist and turned it, "something doesn't feel right with all of this, and when she strikes, I want to be ready. I don't buy the brain-dead act. Not for a second."

Eoin scoffed, "Yes you do. At least enough to chew on your nails."

"Maybe I'm over thinking it," she admitted, "but you don't know Inessa like I do."

"Don't I now?" He'd barely said three words in a row to this girl since Sam brought him in to help in the hunt for Inessa back on Earth. He knew her story, but how dare she presume to know his? "Inessa and I have known one another for six years. We were _friends_ once. I was going to be a leader too."

Marie rolled her eyes and fixed her gaze on Eoin all in the same motion, "Yeah, I've heard. You turned out to be a traitor, Inessa wasn't allowed to kill you, so she settled with driving you and your followers underground and keeping you there. You know her as a friend and as a prison guard, you don't know her as an active threat. I'm kind of a self-taught expert on that front."

"Are you kidding me?" he stared down the girl with amazement and disgust, "You're arguing semantics with me? I know Inessa makes shit decisions, but putting you in Black Ops has to be one of the worst."

"Hardly," she didn't know this man by anything but reputation, and even so she was unimpressed and un-phased. So he was supposed to be the anti-Inessa, so what? He was a dirty, stinky vagabond when Sam brought him in, and his skin had a yellowish cast that made his deep freckles look almost green. Truth be told, he looked like some of those so-called heartthrobs on magazine covers- attractive? Sure, in the right light. But he also looked like someone who'd be sticky if you touched him. "And was that supposed to be an insult? I don't know why Inessa brought me in, I never did. I suspect it's because I was a combat-gifted and her team was the only one short a person."

"Well, so long as you also realize how useless you are." She reminded him too much of Inessa. Ironically (considering what she was doing) Marie had none of Inessa's fire, that flare that made her dangerous, but the ice was there. Whenever she annoyed him back when he still had Mallory, Eoin would call Inessa the Ice Queen. Now Marie was proving herself a contender for that crown. At least now he knew _precisely_ why he disliked her.

Marie took her hand from the flames and watched it for a moment as the bright pink glow to her skin faded. Eoin could swear he saw an orange light under her flesh as her bones glowed like hot metal, "Inessa is the kind of person who walks with you, learns how you move, how you operate. While you think she's on your side, what she's really doing is sliding a blade into your back so slowly and carefully that you don't even know you're dead until she tells you. Oh, and if you think you know where she'll make her killing blow- if you think you're ready for that knife in the back? That's when she puts it through your eye instead."

Eoin heard a sound on his left and turned- half the metal chairs at the table were in one large glowing puddle without Marie so much as lifting a finger. She put her hand back into the flames, "Inessa isn't gone, she's just figured out finally what powers I do and don't possess. She'll keep up this act until even I'm not sure anymore and right when we think we've got her we'll realize it was all some big trick and we were the ones who were playing her game all along. So if you don't mind, I'm going to keep my powers charged this time. I can't melt Bucky's arm, but I can melt _him_ , and that'll slow Inessa down for sure."

His smile was genuine, "You're better than I thought. Still not Black Ops material, but you could pass for a member of one of the espionage teams. The fact of the matter is that you are useful to me right now. I'm going to prove Inessa isn't gone and then I'm going to kill her myself. You're going to help me."

"You're too cocky. Our hubris is what lost us the first two rounds of this fight. We thought we had her cornered both times and look what happened."

"You were hit in the head and went nappy-bye before the fight even started?" Eoin stepped forward until Marie's skin glowed with heat and the air around her crackled. He stopped just short of scorching-distance, "I'm not like Inessa, kid. I'm better, _way_ better."

"I know you are, everyone does," she used the heat radiating from her like a shield against him, and so it made _her_ cocky, "Inessa killed six people and we're halfway across the universe preparing her execution. You killed nine and walked away with a slap on the wrist."

"And don't you forget that," there was a flash of something in Eoin's eye that caught Marie's attention- it was a look of pain and loss that made Marie's flesh crawl. He was trying to play her to gain her allegiance.

"Stop dicking around and just tell me what you think I'm going to do for you," she wasn't going to play his game. If he wanted to flash the pity-me look around as if it just slipped out then that was his prerogative. Just as hers was to think he was full of shit.

No one had spoken to Eoin like that in a long time. He was too used to being feared by his horde of vagabonds, he forgot how frustrating well-adjusted people were. _I should probably have spent more time around them on the ride here_. She'd already won against him with her heat-shield, or else he would have knocked her around a bit until fear reappeared in her eyes. Eoin had no choice but to treat her as an equal, "You're going to draw Inessa's eye while I make my move. When this is all said and done, she'll have shown her hand in full and both her and Bucky will be dead. Deal?"

"Just draw her eye?"

"You'll work with Sam. That's all I need from you. Then Inessa Ryker gets a tombstone and we hopefully never see each other again."

Marie turned off the stove and pulled a pair of leather gloves out of her pocket to protect the space station from her at full power, "Pro tip- if that's really all you wanted, you should have just come out and said it. Remember that, if you have to speak to me again."

* * *

"We've made our decision," Sam stood in front of Inessa's cell and tried his best to keep the goosebumps down. In front of him was a young woman who was lost, in need of help, someone he should be protecting- except he knew her for what she really was. A monster. She played her role very well, but that was still all it was- an act. Inessa wasn't gone, she was biding her time, and so was he. The tension was almost tangible, which made Marie just as nervous.

 _Why do we even have to play this game?_

"We don't know what you are," she spoke up, "Nadya, or the host. There's only one way for us to be sure."

"That's us killing you and letting Saint Peter sort it all out at the pearly gates. If we're wrong, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry… But if we're right I just want you to know that you deserve worse. You deserve everything that came to you in Astana and more. I just wish I had the two years with you that Bucky did to make sure you adequately paid the price for the lives you've cost us, the _friends_ you've taken!" He squeezed his hand into a fist and tried to get control of himself and his emotions. He could almost _feel_ Nadya watching, and that pissed him off even more.

"For the sake of the host, if that's you, it'll be a quick death," Marie was firm, hard. She had to be the one to draw attention, not Sam. "I can make it so fast your nerves won't even have time to fire. One minute you'll be here, and the next you're gone."

Sam coughed and straightened his shoulders, "Either way, innocent or guilty, you'll die in an hour. When you're dead, Bucky will be sent to Asgard for seventy years to pay for helping you. I'll never see his face again so long as I live," he looked away from the girl sitting on the cot, "I'll never see a lot of my friends' faces again, thanks to you… or thanks to her. Whatever."

Where did the rage go? Sam wanted to rip Nadya apart with his own two hands, beat her, skin her alive, _anything_. That never changed, but the pain did. He was angry, but he was also disappointed. He missed the person who was like a niece or even a daughter to him, but just the thought of her face, let alone the sight of it, made his blood burn in the veins and his vision go red, "Nothing I could ever do to you would make up for what you did to them. You took my family and friends away… A quick death is too good, but I guess that's just another prank war you've won. How does the saying go? The greatest trick the Devil every played was convincing the world he didn't exist? You don't mind if we make sure you're wiped out of existence, do you?" Everything they needed to say had been said, so Sam turned and stormed out of the room. Soon enough Inessa would be gone and he would have peace again… Hopefully.

Marie followed Sam as far as the door, then hesitated, "One last thing, just between us?" she spoke softly enough that Sam couldn't hear her even if he _was_ listening, "Noelle made the funniest noise after I tore out her tongue," she giggled to herself and shook her head in wonder, "I couldn't stop laughing!" she wiped a tear from the corner of her eyes, "Ah, and just think, I'll get to hear it again soon!" Marie peeked out the door back down the hall. She could still see the back of Sam's head as he walked away, but he was very small now, "I'll save him for last, I think. I want to see that moment when he realizes you were right all along, when he figures out he stopped you from saving them." She laughed once and slapped a hand over her mouth. Marie tipped out again to check on Sam's progress, he was gone. "I'd best be off after him. My master would prefer if I maintained my cover at least until we're on the ship."

A wink and a quick step into the hallway was all it took. She knew Inessa would follow her now. Eoin told her to keep the creature's eyes on her- what better way than to give her what she always wanted- concrete, tangible evidence that Marie was the one responsible for Noelle's death? It made her stomach churn to even pretend to be happy about it- especially since they'd all read the autopsy report- how long she'd lasted in unimaginable pain as Inessa tortured her. She put a few fingers on the cool metal wall to steady her as she walked, but that was the only weakness she could afford to show. Inessa was watching- she had to proceed entirely as if she meant what she said.

This was Eoin's equivalent to leaving the cell door unlocked. Inessa wasn't going to burn in an hour- although Marie protested that to Sam before they went in in the first place- she could melt her old leader without opening the door even, but Eoin had a bigger game in mind, and she promised to follow his lead for now. He wanted Inessa inspired to escape, mentally, and push up her move on the intel she so desperately sought.

 _Let the games begin… God help us all._

* * *

 _Rise and shine, sleepyhead._

 _Oh great, you're back_ , Amadeus groaned in pain and stirred on the stretcher. He was in the infirmary, grotesquely uncomfortable. Two of the Asgardian drones were guarding the door, but otherwise he was mercifully alone.

 _Travis is building a second containment cell on Sam's ship, I'm guessing your new quarters. Castor and Maya are up to something on my ship. Bucky's got two Asgardians of his own, and I get three- Calder is here himself. The server room is being locked down, remote access to the data is being locked down as we speak._

 _You've been busy, what do you even need me for?_ Inessa sounded rushed, which worried him slightly.

 _I need you to get out of that room. There is a terminal two levels below you, in the south of the second warehouse. It's all cobwebs and dust, I don't think Berny even knows it's there. That's our intel._

Amadeus glanced around the medical room, _I think I can handle the Asgardians. I'll get your intel, but how do I get it to you? And how do you get to Bucky?_

 _That's the easy part. Trust me. Nadya will meet you in the warehouse, follow her to the terminal._

His stomach fluttered, _You're not going with her? Ness, this could be a trap, and if it is I'd really be more comfortable having you in on this too…_

 _They won't use the frequency beacon in some dusty storage space, trust me. I'm following Marie and Eoin around, if anyone is planning anything, it'll be those two. Marie is trying to draw my focus too hard, she wants me to make a move. They'll keep the frequency emitter close to me, not you. Don't worry, Nadya will be fine, and she'll protect you._

 _You're sure?_

 _Positive. You have half an hour before they melt me into a puddle though, so you need to get going. It'll be close._

 _Alright boss,_ Amadeus resigned himself to crawling through vents and creepy space-warehouses with cobwebs- so, creepy space-spiders too, _don't worry, I'll hurry. Tell Nadya to look for the beacon though, I want it accounted for before running into trouble._

 _She's on it already. Hurry, we have to make our window._

Inessa had appeared in his mind as a feeling of pressure behind his eyes, now that pressure faded as she returned to her body (or whatever the hell she was doing). Amadeus' skull hurt, his jaw was swollen, and he was fairly certain Bucky had fractured one of his cheeks, but the man knew what he was doing- he'd avoided any hits that would limit his vision. He groaned and turned his head to the right, away from the door with the Asgardian guards. Med labs were handy for arts and crafts- especially when you happened to be a super genius.

"Hey, am I allowed to move around?"

One guard looked over at him, "You are not permitted to leave this room unescorted. That is the only order we were issued. You may move about freely within these confines."

"Fair enough," he slid off the cot and winced at the ache in his jaw, "I need drugs."

Amadeus ambled over to Travis' medicine bag and began to search through it for something to help, "Do you have any way for me to contact Berny? The guy who owns this station?"

"There is a communication device set in the wall."

"Thanks again." He found a silver wall panel and hit the button, "Berny, do you have some kind of medicine cabinet? I need anti-inflammatory drugs and a pain killer."

"There's a chemical synthesizer in the wall. It's got a menu of drugs in it. The strong stuff and tranquilizers are locked. Nothing in there will help you get past those guards."

"Um, thanks? I just want Tylenol, jeez." Amadeus randomly slapped the smooth, silver panels on the wall until one slid up. The drug synthesizer looked more like a coffee maker than anything. Amadeus tested it by asking for some simple stuff- with each drug he chose from the list a cup would pop down and a liquid was deposited.

Amadeus typed at the keyboard until he managed to pull up deeper operating instructions. It wasn't written in any form of code he'd ever seen, but luckily Steve made a very stupid decision many years ago and stuck Inessa with the 7th smartest man in the world as a lieutenant- he could figure out any code within minutes. Ten, to be precise. Once he had control of the code he could play and order any individual chemical contained in one of the unlocked medicines, re-combine them, and convince the system it was a new drug he was authorized to have in any dose.

Fifteen of his thirty minutes had passed before Amadeus had two small cups of clear liquid. He turned back to the Asgardians and smiled, "Cheers boys."

He tossed the contents at the guards, angling the cups so that the splash of liquids collided in mid-air. The chemical reaction was instantaneous. There was a searing flash of light and a concussive blast that knocked the guards back into the door and blinded them. While they were dazed, Amadeus grabbed two more cups and poured them into the open mouths of the shouting guards. It was the strongest sedative he could produce.

Fifteen minutes, and he'd wrestled control of the room from two Asgardians. _Loki was right to keep me out of the Realms. I'm bad-ass._

 _You_ have _a bad ass_. The pressure returned for a moment.

 _GET OUT OF MY HEAD NESSIE._

 _I couldn't resist. Good luck, move faster._

Amadeus smirked and began to tap at the other metal panels until one slid aside and he found the air vent. As promised, Nadya was waiting for him. She slashed out with her talons and the bars covering the vent shredded. The wolf crawled through the darkness away from him and Amadeus followed. Hopefully from here on out was the easy part.

He had no idea he was being followed.

* * *

The warehouse was, as advertised, cavernous, dirty, dusty, and full of cobwebs. Mercifully though there were no space-spiders to go along with it. Amadeus wasn't even sure what a space-spider was, but he knew he didn't want to learn. Of course, considering how many shipments Clint had passed on through to Berny and the visits Berny himself made they could just as easily have been Earth-spiders stowing away, but still.

It was worse than being in a Costco. The pallets of illegal gear were stacked floor to ceiling, with paths barely wide enough for a person to walk snaking through the maze. Nadya had to abandon him to run through the stacks and navigate the labyrinth of boxes. She'd return for him and help lead him down paths towards the back wall, but they were on a clock. Eventually she found a way for him to climb onto the top of the tower and run along _that_ , jumping where necessary towards the computer.

Inessa had been out of contact with him for some time, but no contact with her was usually a good sign. He glanced at his watch as often as he was able to see in the dim light. His time was rapidly running out and he hadn't even gotten the coordinates of the person who sent the Collector his shipment yet. Then he had to find a way to get back to the infirmary so he could be on the ship when Sam called the Counsel to witness Inessa's execution, pass the information on to her, and then let her do whatever the hell she was going to do to grab Bucky, their gear, and get the hell out of dodge.

Oh, and Inessa didn't really know how to fly a spaceship. There was that too.

 _Get to the damn computer and get her the coordinates. The rest is a Nessie problem_. He dropped down near the wall and saw Nadya waiting in a closed off space against the wall, slightly recessed, with an ancient-looking computer tucked away, "Thanks, now go find me an easier escape route, please."

Amadeus typed as fast as he could, but the computer was frustratingly slow, then he had to figure out the OS again, Berny's file organization, and finally flick through the data until he found scans of something headed towards the Collector with the right size and quantity of materials to be the beacon emitters. Amadeus didn't have time to be thorough, by the time he got all the intel he needed he was three minutes to the deadline. He scribbled the coordinates onto a piece of notebook paper, crammed it back in his pocked, then shouted for the wolf, "NADYA, GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

He turned back towards the pallet he'd seen Nadya on last just in time to see the wolf encased in blue lightining. The wolf howled in agony before it exploded in a flash. Raj stood behind where Nadya had been, Tony's anti-shadow gun in hand. His face was grim-set and pale, "You're in a lot of trouble, Cho."

* * *

Calder, his Asgardians, Sam, Castor, Maya, Marie, Berny, and Ellie came for Inessa. Kelsey, Eoin, Travis, and Geoff were guarding Bucky on the bridge of the ship. She was pretending to be the bewildered host. They already knew she could walk, so she did, but she stumbled occasionally and kept her face a confusing mix of braindead and frightened.

When Berny first fired Tony's gun she was bewildered. It was like she'd been half-numb for years and suddenly felt everything at once. The power overwhelmed her. This was just a matter of remembering and recreating that state of shock. She very nearly fell when even more power slammed into her, and it took all of her concentration to keep her eyes brown. She couldn't stretch her senses into the Shadows, not right now, but she had a feeling whatever that burst of power came from, she wasn't going to be happy.

No one helped her when she stumbled, but no one forced her down the hall either. They seemed fine with letting her set the pace, but were weary of any tricks she might have up her sleeve.

Inessa had her tank top and cargo pants, but not her armor or her blades. Those were being carried by Calder himself. This was the hardest part of the plan. Inessa, Bucky, and Amadeus- they all needed to be in the same room for her plan to work. Marie was the method of execution, so Inessa just had to hope she could keep the girl distracted long enough to break free, grab her gear and Bucky's arm, free the man, get whatever intel Amadeus had, and run to her ship. Their plan had too many places things could go wrong, and Inessa was in serious need of res.

Since the last time she'd managed to catch some real sleep she'd battled the Avengers on the Collector's Vault station, had about 10,000 wats of electricity blasted through her veins (at least, that was what the power-dump from Stark's gun felt like), and been out of her body several times. Her bones and muscles were strained, and she still had to figure out what Bucky's deal with Calder was, get him, get his arm, her gear, and Amadeus' intel, high-tail it to the ship, and make a clean exit, all with Marie at full-power actively working to kill her, plus whatever other precautions the Avengers had taken against her.

It was a tall order, she just hoped her new Shadow-Armor was heat proof… And Kelsey proof.

Bucky didn't know precisely why they were bringing him out of his cell to the bridge of the ship, but when he saw Inessa led in he got a pretty good idea. Especially with her hands bound in front of her and Marie glowing with heat, ready to strike. This was an execution, and they'd brought him out to watch.

It still felt good to see her again, in her own body this time.

The Avengers with Inessa lined up in front of him and his guard, but he still had a good view of him. Amadeus came in their wake with a small Indian boy- Raj, presumably, pushing him along. He looked angry and pale. Something was wrong.

Inessa didn't acknowledge him or any of them as Calder made her kneel. She slumped forward for a moment as if she were dizzy and instantly Bucky felt a pressure behind his eyes and heard her voice as a hushed whisper in his mind, _Who is Calder?_

He didn't know how to communicate it to her, so he pictured as best he could the destruction of Clint's farmhouse in the battle with Sebastian Morris. He'd never seen the man's face (whole) other than in grainy pictures, but he got the feeling Inessa knew what he was trying to say. Calder grabbed her ponytail and jerked her hair back, lifting her face. Bucky's heart skipped a beat. Inessa's eyes were still brown- or back to brown. The pressure behind his eyes vanished and he took a steadying breath.

Marie pulled her gloves off and a wave of heat hit everyone in the room. She was barely containing all of the energy she'd absorbed from the fire, and Sm even had to look away, "Sorry," she mumbled and stepped back a few paces so he could approach her.

"Nadya Antonia Emilia Ryker. You have been sentenced to death by the Counsel of Yggdrasil for the murders of Anthony Stark, Steven Rogers, Natalia Romanova, Clinton Barton, Robert Banner, and Prince Thor of Asgard," there was more Sam was supposed to say in his pronouncement of the sentence, but the words escaped him now. He looked away from Inessa for a moment and shook his head, "I- I have nothing more to say to you. Marie- end this." He backed away from her but locked her eyes with his, especially at this point he was unwilling to let her out of his line of sight.

Eoin leaned against the hull of the ship and waited, watching. Now was when she'd strike, he was sure of it. He counted on it. Marie lifted her hands and he hot glow began to coalesce there. She was throwing every last bit of energy she'd stored up back at Inessa. Sam nodded to her and she released it all in a superheated wave of light-

Half a second before the fatal beam hit her Inessa's eyes flashed a brilliant silver, she grinned wickedly, and her entire body erupted in the Shadow-armor. Marie's hit was absorbed well enough, but she'd found the limits of the armor. It vanished with the wave of heat, but Inessa's policy was to pretend everything was intentional, and she was keeping that up now more than ever. She shrank her power down to just the claws and maintained them long enough to destroy her bindings and slash through her guard. Before the Avengers could react, Inessa slammed them through Calder's chest.

Her eyes locked on his and she ripped the talons out, slashing up and shredding his heart. It was a fatal blow, a killing stroke no one anticipated, "Now the Counsel can charge me with a real murder," she hissed.

Bucky threw himself onto the Avengers in front of him. They were too surprised to brace themselves and he ended up tangled in them. Without his arm his whole balance was off- this was what he got for refusing to train in one-armed fighting during his time as a monk. He managed to get himself angled just right to kick a few skulls and take out Raj's knee in the process. When the boy fell, Amadeus went down next to Bucky's human arm. _My pocket_ , he mouthed.

Inessa grabbed their gear bag from Calder's feet as he fell and ran over to Bucky. She saw his hand snatch something from Amadeus before she yanked him to his feet. Kelsey untangled herself from the pile and pulled out her sword. Before she could strike, Inessa and Bucky ducked down the hall of the ship and made a break for the platform on Berny's station.

A beam of light nearly tore through Bucky (and would have if he had his metal arm on). Kelsey was on the warpath. Geoff appeared in front of them and Inessa slammed her palm into his nose, shattering it. Geoff went down and she jumped over his body. Bucky grabbed her and spun her sharply behind a crate on the platform as another beam shot out, then they made a last-ditch break for the hold of the ship they'd arrived on.

Inessa managed a thin shield of darkness to hold the back door as the bulkhead closed, then ran to join Bucky on the bridge, "What did Amadeus give you?!" she snatched the paper from his hand, tossed him the bag of gear so that he could reattach his metal arm, and began typing the coordinates in with lightning speed. Luckily she knew just enough about setting a course to be dangerous- and thanks to Peter and Rocket's sticky note she knew the button to press to activate the auto-piloting device on the ship.

"Why did you kill Calder?" Bucky panted, "I said he was mine!"

"I was closer," she watched, tense, as the ship took off. If Sam's ship had weapons they were fucked, "besides, that technically counts as an act of war against Asgard and if they decide to take that to the Counsel then I want it added to _my_ tab. You still might not be executed for helping me."

"He was a relative of Morris, by the way. That's what I was trying to show you."

Inessa nodded, "Makes sense. None of Thanos' children travel alone. Every one I've heard of has come in a set of two, we had a feeling Morris had someone on the side to help get me off world if he managed to get his grubby hands on me." She sighed as Sam's ship dropped off the radar without weapons fire, "Oh thank god…"

"Not just yet," Bucky's body was throbbing with adrenaline, he _needed_ a fight, "that was way too easy. This is a trap."

She laughed and slumped into the pilot's chair, "Gee, you think? Of course it's a trap, that's why we're flying head-first into it."

Bucky chucked, "Just so long as you know. How far out are we from the ambush?"

Inessa shrugged, "No idea, but something tells me it'll be pretty obvious." She cracked her neck and closed her eyes, "Talk, keep me awake."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Well, I'm feeling both generous and exhausted right now, so ask me one question, any question, and I'll give you a straight answer. Take advantage now before my better judgement returns."

"Off the top of my head?" Bucky wanted to ask the dangerous questions- the ones Inessa made clear in Asgard were too sensitive to answer, but instead he settled on one Sam asked him, "What happened to Noelle Martinez?"

Inessa actually winced, "Geoff?"

"Sam."

"She was a member of my team," Inessa opened an eyelid halfway to watch him. She looked so tired he almost told her to rest and not bother talking, _almost_ , "she went missing after an op, after I threatened her for trying to find _you_. When they found her- whoever killed her made it slow. There was more damage to her than I've ever even heard of, and every last bite, claw, or slice tracked back to me. The Avengers turned on me, once and for all. It was a smart move."

"Sam's never said her name. I've heard him list the charges against you twice now, but her name isn't part of the list."

"To put it bluntly? She wasn't important enough."

Bucky frowned, "But she was important enough for someone to torture to death to get at you?"

Inessa nodded, "Because she makes no sense and perfect sense at the same time. We had a big fight in front of a lot of people, then out of nowhere she's murdered. Between you and me? I have a feeling she was working with whoever master minded this- she just didn't know their plan included her death."

"What makes you think that?"

She chuckled and stretched her legs out to the dash of the ship, "Sharing time is over."

"You're still not supposed to fall asleep though," whatever Sam had planned could be hours out still, and Inessa looked like she was fading fast, "Ness, I can keep an eye out for whatever the ambush point is, you really need sleep."

"No," she kicked her feet off the dash and wiggled in her chair to wake up her arms and legs, "it isn't something you can see. I need to stay awake," her voice was more of a mumble than anything.

"You need to sleep."

"I need to stay awake," she yawned, then groaned, "why didn't I tell Amadeus to grab me some of the caffeine injections?"

Bucky glanced over the controls and a small computer screen. He hit a few buttons and a display popped up showing their trajectory and nearby star systems, "If this Eoin guy thinks he can ambush you, then he needs it to be somewhere you can't just pop away. I'm guessing- here," he tapped a point several hours out, "three stars close together."

"So?"

"So, three angles of light with no planets to break that up and cast shadows. Even as strong as you are right now, would you be able to fight through the power of _three_ suns?"

"No," she admitted and rested a hand under her chin. Her eyes weren't even close to being open anymore, "That sounds like a good ambush... 's probably right."

"Go to sleep," Bucky chuckled and patted Inessa's shoulder, "I'll wake you up when we get close. I promise."

She was more asleep than awake, so he was never sure if her next move was intentional or not. Inessa tipped her face so that her cheek rested on his metal hand. She smiled sleepily and rubbed her cheek on his hand ever so slightly. Bucky knelt next to his friend to watch her a moment, "Go to sleep," he whispered, "you've earned it." only when her eyes began to move beneath the lids did he slowly slide his hand away and smile. He'd seen angry Inessa, scared Inessa, sick Inessa, injured Inessa (more than enough for one lifetime), and sleeping Inessa, but this was the first time that he could remember ever meeting this one- peaceful Inessa.

* * *

By the time they reached the ambush point Bucky was having trouble staying awake. He explored the ship (there were a few valuable-looking crates hidden under the cargo hold floor and a semi-stocked dining area), ran a few laps around it, found an exposed beam to do chin-ups on, and even found a shower to clean up with. Five hours in all passed while they traveled slowly but surely towards Eoin's likely ambush point. Only when they were just entering the star system did he lightly shake Inessa to wake her.

"What? When did I-?" she wiped at her eyes and peered at the controls. She didn't remember falling asleep- that was bad, they could have missed whatever Eoin was waiting for!

"Relax, we're just getting into the system now."

Inessa blinked hard and shook her head to dispel the fatigue that still overwhelmed her, "Right, ok, um, now it's just a matter of when whatever he's got planned kicks in," she hit the buttons around the monitor, "Damn, how did Peter turn his on? Does this one not have- ah, good, there."

It looked like a pyramid around a white dot he assumed was the ship. The dot moved slowly towards a green light in the center, "And this is what?"

"It's a gravity monitor, I don't know what it's called," she pointed to the points of the triangle, "those are the three stars, this is us. Once we're in the middle it means we're at an equal pull from each star. Their gravity all hits us at once, basically. It's a safety feature so you don't fly your ship too close to one or the edge of a black hole."

Inessa focused on the monitor intently as they drifted closer and closer to the green mark. As soon as their edges were touching she killed the throttle and let the ship coast to a stop (actually, if it weren't for the inertial dampeners the ship's relatively sudden stop would have thrown them both into the front of the ship with enough force to liquify their bodies, but luckily the dampeners held!). Almost as soon as the ship was confirmed as a lock in location between the three stars, another white dot crept into frame. Sam's ship pulled up beside theirs and likewise stalled.

A beeping from the rear of the control room alerted the two to an incoming message. Bucky raised an eyebrow and looked to Inessa, who nodded. He reached over and flicked a switch next to a blinking light and Sam, Marie, and Eoin's faces filled the screen, all looking exceptionally smug, "Uh oh, something wrong with your ship?"

"Why? Because you had Castor and Maya plant bombs around the engine?" Inessa's grin grew as Sam and Marie glanced to Eoin. A shudder ran though their ship and the three stumbled. Red lights began to flash behind them, "Uh oh, something wrong with your ship?"

"Open fire!" Sam commanded the Asgardian sitting at the controls behind him. Inessa waited patiently for the man to relay that there appeared to be no ammunition on board.

"Ah, yes, well, you'll find everything you're looking for floating underneath Berny's station," a second shockwave tore through the ship and Eoin put a hand on his forehead, "Uh oh, I think that one was life support... Or the hot water heater, honestly I couldn't tell the difference."

"Life support has been destroyed along with-" the Asgardian seemed deeply confused, "along with the water heater?"

"Two points to Nessie," Bucky high-fived her.

"How did you do it?" Eoin was livid, even more so than Sam and Marie, "We took precautions-"

"Marie pretending she killed Noelle is hardly a precaution," Inessa raised an eyebrow. "I know you Eoin. You were chosen for Black Ops back in the day _not_ because you were clever enough, but because you were dark enough, personality-speaking. The _second_ I saw those cameras in the bathroom I knew you'd be watching, and you'd be plotting. Leave me a single terminal to get my intel from and then put Raj there to guard it. Set geographically-triggered charges to stall my engine and take out life support somewhere where it would be _impossible_ for me to use my powers outside of this ship. What were you planning on doing? Asking me to send over Bucky and then destroy this ship once and for all?"

"We weren't going to ask anything," Eoin spat, "he threw his lot in with you, he deserves to die."

"Cheers," Bucky smiled.

Sam turned away from the camera and grabbed Amadeus from among the Avengers gathering, "Sam don't-" Marie couldn't stop him from delivering the first two punches, but Maya, Kelsey, and Travis helped her separate them as Sam screamed curses and insults at the boy. He wasn't as deliberate in his strikes as Bucky was- Amadeus' face was a wreck. The boy never screamed though- he honestly didn't have time to.

"Sam!" Inessa was actually surprised and disturbed by the show of violence, "What the fuck are you doing?!"

"I CAN'T KILL YOU, BUT I CAN KILL HIM FOR HELPING YOU!"

"Ellie," Inessa spoke now to the girl behind Sam, "protect Amadeus. Whatever I may or may not have done, he doesn't deserve this and you know it!" Ellie nodded and went to put herself between Sam and the newest Avengers leader.

"You don't know what you just did, do you?" Sam snarled, turning back to the screen, "You killed a dignitary of ASGARD! If I don't kill you they won't just withhold their normal protections for us- THEY WILL DECLARE WAR!" he stepped back and gaped at her, "Killing Steve and the others wasn't enough, you want the entire planet to burn."

Bucky put his hand on Inessa's shoulder to hold her back, "Sam, Calder wasn't working for Asgard. He was a child of Thanos- Sebastian Morris' partner or brother or something. Whatever he had planned, she _saved your life_!"

"Your words are worth less than hers," Sam shook his head but the snarl didn't fade, "I'm going to kill both of you. Inessa- you'll die quickly, Bucky will be slower. Much slower."

"The damage to the engine is minor," she replied softly, "you can fix it in half an hour or so. And the damage to life support should still give you enough oxygen to make it back to Berny's station. If not, I also put all the spare parts marked 'Life Support' that I could find in the lower cargo bay. None of you will die, but we'll get a head start. I hope we don't see each other again, but if we do-"

"We'll be shooting to kill," Sam hissed.

"We won't be," Bucky was firm.

Eoin just chuckled, "You'll get a head start to the middle of nowhere," he pointed back to Ellie, "I had her change the intel you wanted. You lost Nadya, you lost your precious information, and this course ends in a black hole. You won nothing."

Inessa lifted her hand. As soon as it was at the proper height, Nadya appeared in an explosion of black mist. She sat next to her mistress calmly, "You changed the coordinates in a very dark room, Ellie. That wasn't a smart decision." Both Inessa and Nadya's eyes flashed silver simultaneously and she leaned forward to type the original coordinates into the navigation system, "Nadya saw everything."

"What did you do to Tony's gun?" Marie demanded.

"Not a damn thing," Inessa straightened up and Nadya faded away, "I just sent a new wolf for the gun to dissolve."

She slid the throttle up and their ship began to move out of the star system, "Goodbye Sam, everyone. I'm sure I'll see you soon enough... Oh, and as always- go fuck yourself Eoin."

* * *

Explaining their failure to the Counsel of Yggdrasil was the most difficult part of it all. Sam had to relive their humiliation in excruciating detail- and they were exceptionally interested in the part where the Avengers didn't know where Inessa went and had no way of finding out since Eoin's master plan involved destroying the original intel. They gave her safe harbor, a secure way out and an infinite head start.

The Asgardians were going to help them back as far as Berny's station, then they'd return home. As the Counsel threatened- all of Earth's defenses were gone. If an armada wanted to fly straight through the Realms to wipe out Midgard they would be completely uncontested. If Inessa got her prize and claimed the Earth, no one would come to their aid.

The Avengers protected Earth from most threats, but it was the Counsel and their Realms who stopped threats before they were even on the Avengers radar. The loss of their allegiance would have been catastrophic if the Leaders were still alive, but now- it was apocalyptic.

 _What's one worse than 'Apocalypse-Bad'?_

 _That would be 'Avengers Bad'._

Sam could hear Steve's voice in his mind as he slumped, utterly defeated, in a chair on the bridge of the ship. He wasn't done trying to find Inessa, but that didn't mean he couldn't be completely overwhelmed. He had to be strong for the Avengers still surrounding him, deal with Amadeus for his treason, but for now he was content to sit silently, staring literally off into space, and leave him to be fussed over by his friends.

"Incoming transmission. It's from the Counsel," Berny glanced over at a despondent Sam and flipped up the switch, "I'll just turn on the camera on my side."

The face that filled the screens wasn't any counsel member they knew. This was a middle-aged man, Midgardian in appearance, with an overwhelming air of superiority he tried to mask. The man was a general, no doubt about it, but one not comfortable with his power or influence, "I'm sorry," he spoke with only a slight accent- German maybe, "I- I am not a member of the Counsel of Yggdrasil. No doubt you've realized this already, I just- it was the only way I could think to convince you to answer my hail. Um, again, I apologize for the deception."

"Who are you?" Berny couldn't stand hand-wringers, and that's what this man struck him as. A giant with the heart of an ant- no offense to Hank Pym or Scott Lang.

"I- my name is Jonathan Smith," some of the Avengers from the bridge came over to watch the man on the screens. They were curious, more than anything, about this human in outer space. Peter and Berny were the only ones they'd heard of (they were the only ones most outside of the Realms knew). Amadeus pulled himself to his feet to see over their heads. His hands were shaking, his left eye was swollen shut, but he managed a few quick keystrokes without anyone noticing.

* * *

"Hey, we've got a message from Sam's ship," Bucky snagged Inessa as she was leaving to find the shower. She spun around and sighed, then flipped the switch to re-open the comms.

"Sam, w-" Amadeus' face filled most of the screen. He held a hand to his lips and switched off the camera on his end before anyone noticed Inessa's face on the screens. She could still see his ship though- Sam was talking to someone. She couldn't see his face through the heads of the Avengers in the way. Bucky frowned and leaned in, listening.

* * *

"What can we do for you, Mr. Smith?" Berny nudged Sam to get him to at least look at the screen.

"I would like to help you, and I would like you to let me, perhaps? I- I've heard the news, that one of the Avengers betrayed you and killed their leadership. There are whispers that she is now here? Outside of the realms? I believe I can help you find her."

"How?" Sam hit the keypad in front of him and activated his own camera, "She is supposedly headed to the origin point of a shipment to the Collector. We don't know where it is, our ship is damaged, and now she's going to have at least a twelve hour head start, _if_ we can even figure out how to repair life support on this ship. Oh, and by the time we get back to our base, we won't _have_ a ship with enough fire power to take her down."

"I am sorry," the man shrugged, "but I do believe I can help you with your problems. There are only a handful of mines and production facilities in this sector large enough and skilled enough to be of any use to someone like the Collector. I can send people to the stations to track the shipment from that end until I find where the order came from."

Sam sat up straighter, "That's not much help. She'll still have a lead of several hours and we still won't have the right class of ship." This man had an idea already, it was just a matter of getting it out of him.

"I will have my associates change the ordering information, when she finds her intelligence, it will point her further on, to a place of your choosing. That way you don't have to find her, you just have to go straight to one location. I would like to volunteer my home, it is more secure than any other place I know of, and I am sure I will be protected should you arrive after her. It is an ideal ambush point, I assure you."

"Who are you," Sam didn't trust this man, coming in at their time of need with all sorts of helpful suggestions, "how are you so connected? And how do you know your facility is equipped to hold someone like her?"

"I'm just someone who wants to help the Avengers," he shrugged, "I- I have been made to do horrible things... Terrible things- all of it against my will. I was a good man once... I just want to be that again, and I feel that helping you may redeem some of the wrongs I have committed. Please, I assure you I am no threat to you-"

"You're a Child of Thanos," Berny raised an eyebrow, "that's how you have a _home_ capable of holding someone who can teleport through fucking shadows. The main seats of Thanos' children were always the height of technology in the galaxy."

Jonathan looked down, ashamed, "You are correct. I was abducted on Earth, believe it or not, and taken aboard a slaving ship."

"It isn't uncommon, the smallest slavers can get through the Realms without the Counsel noticing," Berny confirmed for Sam.

"The ship I was on was damaged by debris in Earth's atmosphere. Navigation failed... Apparently they flew too close to Thanos' territory. He captured the ship, executed most on board, and took two of us to be his _children_." Jonathan shuddered, "That was a long time ago. I never wanted to be a monster, yet he knew tortures that ripped the very souls from men. I admit I have killed in his name, but with his death I became free. We all did. As I said, I want only to help you."

"Help in killing Nadya Ryker? That's what you're offering?" Sam was willing to dance with this devil, risk the Avengers on the words of a man he didn't even know.

Jonathan nodded, "That is what I am offering."

* * *

It sounded like Sam was going to take the deal. Inessa looked to Bucky and shook her head, _He's insane_ , she mouthed. Amadeus was a god-send, sharing this with them.

The Avengers on board evidently thought so too. They began to shift uneasily, murmur to one another. For a moment their heads moved out of the way and Bucky caught a glimpse of Jonathan Smith. He tipped forward, stunned, and his metal hand hit the console hard as he caught himself, "Is that-" his heart was pounding so hard he couldn't even hear Sam's reply.

"Bucky? What's wrong?" The video cut out- either Bucky hit the switch on accident or Amadeus killed the feed on his end to stop anyone from hearing Bucky and figuring out what he'd done.

The final image was frozen on their screens- the Avengers heads, and the pale face of Sam's apparent new best friend.

"That face- that man-" Bucky was white with fear and actually _shook_ as Inessa pulled him upright, "Jonathan Smith- Johann Schmidt. Nessie- _that's_ Red Skull. Sam just sold his soul to the devil."


	33. Happy Holidays!

**Merry Christmas Everyone!**

Or, if you don't celebrate-

Happy Hanukkah

Happy Kwanzaa

TGIF!

Whatever you celebrate or don't, have a wonderful day and a fantastic rest of the year! Thank you all for your continued interest in "Project Echo", I'll be wrapping up the last half relatively quickly, and I hope you all enjoy what's coming!

Humm... Should I give you all a little gift? Alright, here's a pretty good spoiler-

Just like there's a traitor on her team, Nessie's got a secret ally on Sam's ship (not just Amadeus) who will be playing a big part in the finale!

Once again- Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, Happy Friday, and thank you all for reading! You're the best!

~Kristen

P.S: Product Placement- For Christmas my elder brother got me a new keyboard- the Razer Deathstroke Chroma. If you got to my Instgram (PretendThisIsWitty), you can see a video of it- the keys are back-lit and it has 16million+ programmable color combinations- IT LOOKS AMAZING (and is super distracting)!


	34. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: 39 Days Before the Explosion**

"Tho- Hey! Wait up, man!" Sam jogged up behind the lumbering man bundled against an uncharacteristically chilly morning. Central Park was nearly deserted at 4am- precisely why Thor took that time each day to walk Barkey and Bilgie while no one was around to see them. Before the madness started Inessa would have walked with him, shrouding the two Avengers in a protective layer of shadow.

As the two passed together under the trees and listened to the city waking up, Sam pulled his hat down a bit lower. Luckily no one ever expected to meet an Avenger (or two) walking in the Park- if their minds didn't automatically dismiss it as a possibility the occasional tourist might recognize them (or, at this time in the morning, the occasional runner). Thor straightened his jacket and whistled softly to draw the free-roaming "dogs" closer in, "Might I inquire as to why you are out here, Sam Wilson? Usually you are with Steve on your morning run."

"Yeah, well, I asked for a morning off. I need to talk to you about something _delicate_." He glanced around to ensure they were not being followed.

"You do not wish Steve to know what it is we discuss? Am I right to assume then that young Inessa is involved somehow?"

Sam had been pacing his apartment ever since Noelle vanished, trying to think of a way around bringing another Avenger in on his plan… If he should even _have_ a plan. He needed someone with Thor's strength, someone not on Tony or Steve's radar, "You could say that. This is something even she doesn't know about though."

"Inessa is a friend," Thor was slightly defensive, even though he knew Sam to be her most steadfast ally, "if this aids her against Steven though, I am afraid I cannot be of assistance. I will not act in favor of one against the other."

"Act in favor of keeping the balance between _both_ of them."

"What would you have me do?"

"I need you to agree to do it first."

Thor considered their impasse carefully, "I will not blindly agree to whatever plan you put forth. However- you know my position. If you truly believe that aiding you will not violate my loyalty to both Inessa _and_ Steve, then speak. Unless I feel it is a danger to one or the other I will keep your intentions secret even if I do not agree to help you."

"That sounds fair," Sam frowned, "I think."

"What is your proposition?"

Sam watched his breath curl up in a mist for a time. To the east, between the branches of the trees already turning gold for the fall, he caught sight of Avengers Tower. Few lights were on, but just knowing some people were stirring was enough to twist his stomach with anxiety, "Any day now Tony will remember what he made during the war with Thanos, and when Steve finds out… Everyone thinks Noelle is being held somewhere by Inessa. We've searched the Valley, the scene of the Hydra attack- there's no sign of her anywhere. Still, this could be the final nail in her coffin."

Thor stopped walking and looked to Sam with his arms crossed. He wasn't going to move until he heard what Sam had to say, so the younger Avenger continued, "After Eoin O'Meara betrayed us and we all went underground I found Tony working on a weapon. Inessa's powers were overtaxed and he wanted a way to shut her abilities down whenever she refused- something other than sound waves. The gun he made worked _too_ well. I don't know how it works, but he said that he accidentally created something that could _destroy_ a Shadow. It could cut Inessa out of that body she's inhabiting and take her off of this plane of existence for good."

"Why would Tony create such a device?" Thor was aghast- and more than a little pissed off. They called that 'Starking' among the Avengers- when Tony did something without thinking that went against everything you believed in. The term was coined by Inessa after the creation of Ultron. Unfortunately, it got quite a lot of use around the Tower still.

"I don't think he did it intentionally, for what it's worth."

"The device was not destroyed?"

Sam shook his head, "Not as far as I know. He said he was putting it into storage. I'm suggesting we take it, hide it somewhere Tony and the others won't look for it. It will be obvious if I take it, they'll search my base and find it in a heartbeat, but no one is looking at you or _your_ base. If I get it for you, could you hide it in your personal vault under Avengers Tower? It isn't the idea hiding place, but hopefully if it's in the eye of the hurricane it's clear of the storm, you know?"

Thor pulled his hood down further as they walked. Sam was waiting for a reply, worrying all the while about his comms. Safeguards were put in place long ago to stop anyone (Tony) from turning them on remotely and listening in, but whenever Sam did anything against Stark's wishes he worried about the potential for those safeguards to fall- even though Tony probably didn't even remember making the weapon in the first place.

It took five minutes, but as they reached the far end of Central Park and turned back towards the Tower Thor spoke again, "It could be seen as an act against Steve, if he is made aware of Tony's device and seeks it out… However, I agree with you that it should _not_ be summoned. In the current level of tension it would be akin to fanning the flames of war. On the other hand, should Inessa fall entirely to the Shadow King's command-"he let it hang in the air for a moment.

"I haven't had coffee yet this morning, but are you saying you're in or-?"

"On one condition," Thor stopped again and whistled so that Bilgie and Barkey ran directly to the Avengers, "I may be able to arrange for the weapon to be transported off-world in secret. If Heimdall agrees to be courier to our parcel, then I will have it couriered directly to Berny Barton's outpost. There, I believe, it will be safe. If there is war, he may return it to us, but if there is internal strife then it will be safely out of Tony's reach."

"And Steve-"

"He will ask you where this weapon is, and what you tell him is your own business. You lead the break-in to recover the device, I will transport it off world. My involvement cannot be traced and it is unlikely they will look further than you for a culprit."

"No sticking your neck out for me then?" Sam didn't take offense- well, he didn't make it apparent. Thor was basically telling him he'd abandon him to whatever Steve chose to do in retaliation (if Tony remembered the device enough to look for it). They weren't the best of friends- in fact of all the Avengers they probably saw the least of one another, but still- what happened to brothers-in-arms?

Thor patted Sam's shoulder and walked on with the pets of Avengers Tower, "I am always your ally, Sam Wilson. But if Steve looks only to you to act in Inessa's favor, he will not see what I may do as well." The Asgardian glanced back with a smile, "If you need assistance in the future, look to Maya Lopez. She is close to Inessa, and is worthy of your trust. She can ferry any message to me in secret. Maya may have her doubts about Inessa, as many do, but she is as loyal to me as T'Challa. If she had been one of Steve's Secret Avengers I would have accepted her as my lieutenant with the same enthusiasm as I had for his appointment. After this move is made, you will likely be watched, and meetings such as this will not be possible."

"Maya, got it," Sam caught up to Thor and nodded, "thanks for agreeing to help out."

"Thank you for your trust. Until Bucky and Inessa's visions come true, we should remember who our allies are. Though she may be destined to be our downfall, pushing her away could just as easily be the cause of that. Do you fear the role you may yet play?"

"Her executioner?" Sam's voice fell to nearly a mumble. He breathed heavily for several moments, then signaled his agreement, "I- it's getting harder to believe, but if we all lose faith in her, she'll lose it in herself. I've seen enough people turn into villains because no one stood in their corner. Unless she gives me a damn good reason to turn, I won't."

"A good reason- like all of us falling at her hand?"

Sam closed his eyes and nodded, "I think so. Yeah."

"Well then," Thor clapped him on the back and smiled broadly, "let us do what we may to prevent such an outcome."

* * *

 **Several Hours Later**

"Well, I can't say I like what you've done with the new digs," Inessa was roused from her sleep by a woman's voice- something old and familiar, but her weary brain couldn't put the pieces together. Part of her thought for a moment she was dreaming, but was it possible to be _this_ tired in a dream?

Her prison- her _apartment_ was a wreck. Inessa had pulled her pictures from the walls and shoved the furniture out of the living room into the study and bedroom spaces. The lack of furniture didn't equal a lack of clutter though- books, files, folders, USBs, hard-drives, laptops- every piece of research material she had took up the floor space. Papers clung to the caked mud tracks marking the path of those Avenger's who'd returned just days before- hopefully they weren't important. The walls were wholly covered in index cards, notes, and photographs, all spaced along a series of red strings- a kind of timeline. Every string stretched from the walls towards the center of the room where Inessa had tipped over to rest on a stack of books. The notes were all in Asgardian- if she figured something out, if she found a lead, the fewer who knew about it the better- and even JARVIS couldn't read Asgardian. To mix it up, she'd created her own sub-dialect that would at least give Thor a headache trying to work out (OK, so it was Asgardian written in Pig-Latin, but that would be an alien enough for the big guy).

The kitchen overflowed with trays upon trays of baked goods. Once upon a time it helped clear her mind, now it was a desperate scramble. She'd tried everything, exhausted every possible lead- nothing worked, and she could _feel_ time running out, "Go away. I have work to do," Inessa murmured to the phantom in the room with her and sat up. She cracked her neck to work out a kink and grimaced as the muscles cramped.

"Open your eyes."

"I don't want to."

"Why not?"

Inessa glared then at the person speaking, "Because I know you're not real."

"I _was_ real. Until Eoin O'Meara fell into my life," Mallory looked _exactly_ as she had the last time Inessa saw her- blood dripped from her left ear, her skin was white and rapidly turning to blue, her eyes unfocused and already clouding over. She was the Mallory who was lying in the rubble of Avengers Tower in the wake of Thanos.

"Why are you even here?"

"Why are _you_?" Mallory crossed her arms and leaned against the wall next to the picture of Noelle. She tapped it absentmindedly, "I never liked her anyways."

"And she got along just as well with you," Inessa sighed, "answer my question, ghost."

"Mine first," she moved on to playing with a loose red string, "you could walk out of here any time you wanted, the frequency doesn't hold you, so why are you still here?"

She _needed_ the hallucination, she _needed_ her best friend, but Inessa was always cognizant of JARVIS' abilities- any intercom (or imbedded comm) could be activated to spy on her. She couldn't say anything that she wouldn't be willing to say in front of them… Still, the need to speak to Mallory once more was almost too strong. They wouldn't know her end of the question, so what harm was it to answer honestly? "It isn't time yet," Inessa regretted her choice of words immediately- how would a listener take _that_? "I can still stop what's coming… But if I can't, then at least there's that… Now answer my question- why are you here, Mallory?"

"Because you need a friend," in the blink of an eye Mallory was sitting back-to-back with her, the same way Inessa sat against her tombstone. Where they touched, Inessa felt an odd pins-and-needles shuddering, "I wish I was still here- and not just because then I'd be alive. I wasn't there for you in Astana, I couldn't find you… But I knew you were there."

A strange, metallic taste filled Inessa's mouth, as if she'd bitten her tongue, "I didn't expect you to come find me. You were a kid. We both were."

"And now I'm just a ghost to you," she was in front of Inessa now, still seated, but that pressure was still there, still resting against her, "and you're a prisoner to _them_."

"Oh, god- can we _not_ do this?" Inessa's head was throbbing and her neck throbbed. The rage was coming more frequently now, these bouts of anger without direction or focus. She could feel another one building, "That's not me and it wasn't you, so don't even start." Snapping at a hallucination was a bit pointless, but she wasn't even trying to fight her own temper.

Mallory just shrugged, "If you want to ignore what's right in front of you, then go ahead. I'm just saying- they may not have hurt you in the same way Dennisson did, but they're just as much your enemy.

"You probably knew a dozen Dennisson's thanks to your time with Hydra," Inessa grumbled, "so stop fixating on him. He wasn't anything special- he was Hydra, pure and simple."

"That's another one of your problems- Dennisson was an animal. He wasn't Hydra, not really. He didn't have the elegance of true Hydra, the finesse of Pierce or the brilliance of Moore-"

"Hey now, who's side are you on?"

"Unlike you, I appreciate my enemies. If you don't, they'll run you over."

"Yeah, well unlike you I'm _real_."

"You need to stop fighting the rage. Let it out, let it consume you and let it fuel you. You're sitting on the floor surrounded by notecards and red strings, sleeping on the carpet like a dog, baking instead of getting any real rest- I'm impressed you even take breaks long enough to go to the bathroom! This isn't what an Avengers Leader looks like. They don't make statues of obsessive shut-ins."

"They don't make statues of me period," Inessa snapped, "and you just got a statue because you're dead. I'm not just a Leader. I don't need to carry on as if I shit solid gold like Steve. I don't _need_ validation and recognition for every successful _breath_ like Tony! I'm not a legend in my own mind like Natasha, Robin Hood reborn like Clint, the perfect image of an avenging angel like Sam, a creature from fairy tales like Wanda, a _god_ like Thor, a titan like Banner, or the perfect blend of human, technology, and magic like Vision. _I'm the Shadow_. The darkness in the corner of the room, a whisper in the dark, the monster under your bed- they don't make statues of _demons_!" She slammed her hand on the ground- catching the sharp edge of a stack of files in the process. It was the perfect angle- the paper and cardstock sliced through her hand as if it were a blade. Inessa hissed and clamped a hand around it tightly. The image of Mallory flickered, ever so slightly, and her rage lessened in that first wave of pain before her natural defenses kicked in and she was able to shove it down to tolerable levels.

"So what?" Mallory continued on as if nothing had happened,"You're just going to roll over and let them cage the beast? You're more powerful than they could ever imagine! So what if you throw your cards on the table?! I know you Inessa, I know you've still got something up your sleeve- something that will bring the Avengers or your enemies to their _knees_! SO WHY NOT BOTH?! THEY LET MY KILLER WALK FREE! THEY LOCKED YOU UP INSTEAD OF HELPING YOU FIGHT! EVEN NOW THEY BLAME YOU FOR NOELLE'S DISAPPEARANCE! HOW DARE THEY TREAT YOU LIKE THIS, AFTER EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR THEM?!"

At some point, as Mallory shouted, Inessa must have tipped over. It was like Mallory was all she could see, but the image wasn't right, the angle made no sense- until she realized she was lying on her back and Mallory was standing over her. What the hell was going on? Her vision kept flickering, shifting, moving. Her anger and rage made her body tremble and her hand burn even more than her natural tolerance for pain could handle. Mallory flickered again- turned into something dark and formless, then reappeared.

Inessa's mind caught it in an instant- pointless rage that could be tempered by pain, a creature without any distinct shape or appearance. If she didn't still feel the occasional pang of guilt over the nail she'd put through Steve's foot or the knife she'd taken to Bucky's heel she might have missed it.

 _Rager_.

She tried to form her talons, frequency be damned, and lash out at the creature, but she couldn't move her arms. Her powers weren't working- for real this time. Inessa's teeth were clenched together so tightly that she felt like they would crack and shatter any second. Mallory kept disappearing and reappearing- but so did the room around her. Inessa's head pounded and throbbed as she struggled to keep her eyes steady or un-lock her muscles.

"SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO TO THE WARLORD!" Mallory demanded, "SHOW ME WHAT YOUR ENEMIES SEE RIGHT BEFORE THEY DIE!"

This wasn't some hallucination- a discussion with a long-lost friend- it was an interrogation.

* * *

The lights in Avengers Tower flickered to red and a low-level siren blared. Steve jumped up and instinctively looked out the window as he ran from the meeting room with the rest of the Avengers leadership, "JARVIS, what's going on? Are we under attack?"

"There is a medical emergency," he broadcast throughout the Tower. By the end of the first sentence the Avengers reading or watching movies in the lobby began to clear a path for those who were more inclined to the healing arts.

"Where?" Banner pushed past the others immediately and started towards the hallway leading to the gym and armory.

"Miss Inessa's apartment," Banner switched direction and ran for the stairs.

Steve and the others followed cautiously, "JARVIS, what's the nature of the emergency? Did she cut herself? It could be a trick-"

"She appears to be having a seizure," JARVIS sounded almost offended at the mere suggestion he could be tricked. "If her brain-scan is any indication, it is quite severe."

At the base of the stairs a panel slid up, revealing a remote suit. It held out its arm and a portion of the plating shifted to reveal several thin syringes. Banner grabbed one without even looking and dashed up the steps as quickly as he could, taking two at a time.

"Thor and Tony, with us. Clint, Nat, Sam, and Wanda, you stay behind. We don't need too many people up there!"

"We will review the security footage," Wanda grabbed Sam and they headed back down, "Natasha, find Amadeus, he needs to be made aware of his leader's condition!"

"He's in the electromagnetics lab," Clint had already been keeping an eye on Inessa's best friend, "Don't worry, we'll grab him!"

The frequency emitter was tied to the emergency system throughout the Tower. When JARVIS' alarm began it cut off immediately- meaning that by the time Inessa lost control completely and the shadows erupted around her in bursts and fits the false frequency had already been turned off. Steve and the others weren't surprised when they saw Inessa in the middle of the floor with beams of shadow lancing out from her- it was why he brought Thor. Banner ducked through the mass of red strings, not caring that he tore many from their place, and lifted Inessa's eyelids. Thor summoned a small lightning storm inside the apartment, whipping up just enough extra force to make the shadows coming from Inessa insubstantial- her talons would otherwise have posed a serious risk to Banner.

As soon as he verified her condition and the severity of it, Banner stuck the needle into Inessa's neck and gave her a full dose of sedatives. Thor let the storm die down and Tony joined them in the middle of the floor, "JARVIS, I authorize access to Inessa's brain scans."

"Same here," Steve replied, "tell us what happened. Banner- you and Thor get her downstairs to medical _fast_. And JARVIS- kill the alarm and bring the frequency back up."

"As you wish, Mister Rogers," the lights changed back to their normal white and the siren died down, "Miss Inessa's brain scans showed early indications of an incident brought on by extreme exhaustion and malnutrition exacerbated by a sudden increase in adrenaline and decrease in acetylcholine-"

"Tony, translate."

"She got mad. _Very_ mad. Adrenaline amped her up but the chemical that keeps that in check wasn't invited to the party.

"What set her off?"

JARVIS responded again, "Based on my observations-"

"-I did not order him to spy on her," Tony interrupted far too quickly.

"-Yes you did, Master Stark," JARVIS _definitely_ had a bit of an attitude going on. "As I was saying, based on my observations from her embedded comm I believe she was having hallucinations- in this case of the late Miss Ivaneau."

Steve sighed and hung his head, "Mallory?"

"From what Miss Inessa said I believe the hallucination was attempting to convince her you were her enemy. I cannot confirm remotely but I believe Miss Inessa has been declining in health for some time, more so since the disappearance of Miss Martinez."

"Normal decline or-"

"Certainly not," Tony went a few shades paler, "her body seems to be reacting as if to a parasite of some kind."

Steve tapped his comms, "Banner, while you're going over Inessa, look for any kind of parasites. Run every test we ran when she came back from the Realms and compare them." He looked to Tony next, "JARVIS, I know you don't have any data to reference, so just humor me- if the Shadow King is feeding off Inessa somehow, could it explain the decline and the seizure?"

There was silence for a moment as JARVIS ran the simulation, "I believe that is a possibility, Mister Rogers," Tony covered his mouth and turned away. He thought Inessa was off her game, but this was confirmation something else was going on, "such a decline in physical health has appeared before when working with or facing against Gifted individuals with powers related to the absorption of energies from others."

"So," Tony put his hands on his hips and closed his eyes, "someone's literally sucking the life out of Inessa."

"Yeah," Steve looked around the papered walls of the apartment, "like it wasn't clear enough someone's got their claws in her."

* * *

When Inessa finally came to she felt like she'd been hit by a car. She was feeling that a lot lately. Natasha sat on one side of her, Clint on the other, and she could _feel_ Steve pacing, just out of sight. Judging by the echo of his boots she guessed she was most likely in the operating room- never a good sign. The smallest movement from her toes to her hands confirmed she _could_ move now. Her mouth was completely numb though- she couldn't even tell if it was dry or not.

"Hey there," Natasha had been keeping an eye on the heart monitor. She put a hand on Inessa's shoulder as the girl opened her eyes, "how's life?"

"She's not supposed to speak," Steve's voice was soft, kind even. When he came into her field of view he looked at her with pity. It wasn't a look she'd seen from him in a long time- it made her instantly uncomfortable, "You had a seizure, and you bit your tongue pretty hard. It needed stitches, and it'll take a day to heal," he explained, emphasizing each word as if she might have trouble understanding him.

 _I'm not epileptic_ , somewhere between Inessa and Maya joining the team Steve had taken sign language classes, but he still appreciated Clint translating.

"No, but you _are_ sick," he sighed, "we don't know much yet, but I had Banner re-run all of your tests from when you came back from the Realms. I'll let him talk you through the science of it all, but it confirmed what we've been worrying over… Something's draining away bits of you. All levels of anything measurable have taken a hit- hormones, blood, iron, vitamins- any chemical your body produces is being siphoned off."

Inessa frowned and hesitantly began to sign back, _There was something in my room_ -

"Mallory?" Natasha moved to squeeze Inessa's hand, "We know. JARVIS pulled your audio."

 _I'm not surprised_ , Inessa shook her head slightly and winced at an oddly cold feeling on the back of her neck. She didn't miss the worried look Clint flashed to Steve. She clapped her hands once to get Clint's attention again, _it wasn't Mallory. I think- I'm pretty sure it was a Rager_.

"What's a Rager?" Steve frowned.

 _It's a name I came up with,_ Inessa pointed at Steve, _Nail. Foot._

"Nail foot? Foot nail?" Steve frowned, then his eyes widened, "Foot _plus_ nail- do you mean those things that hit Bucky and I? You used pain to dissipate it?"

 _Yes_.

"OK," Steve rubbed his forehead. That tired and frustrated sound was back in his voice, "I'll ask Tony to see what he can do to verify."

 _I saw it. It's verified. Leave the frequency off and I'll kill it next time it manifests_.

"No offense Nessa, but an invisible enemy only you can see? I need Tony to verify. I know it's a long-shot but we'll see if Thor can get any info from the Realms about them, maybe it's the _Rager_ drawing from you…"

 _The books- one of them was a bestiary. Thor will know which one,_ Inessa decided to stop the argument before it started. If Steve wanted Tony to verify the Rager, she was certain he'd find a way to do it. Fighting over it would only make more bad blood, and with Noelle's disappearance she certainly didn't need it.

"Thanks, I'll let him know," Steve patted Inessa's arm, "we're going to figure out who's doing this, ok? Our top priority is making sure this is the last time you end up in here. Your movement is still restricted, and you aren't allowed anywhere near Marie, but we're going to sort this out."

 _I'm going to find out what happened to Noelle_ , Inessa put a hand on Steve's, _I promise. I'll bring her home- and I'll make whoever has her regret it._

"The sooner the better," Steve stepped back, all business now, "there's a couple of things you need to know though, and I really need you to be understanding here. Meet me half way, alright?" Inessa nodded and again winced, "We need to know how much time you're losing, if any. It'll tell us if you're being controlled or if something's feeding off of you or both. Real-time health monitoring, more so than we can do with your wrist implant, GPS tracking, and a frequency jammer that the alarms won't interfere with- you almost sliced Banner up when he came to help you."

 _OK, what do I have to do?_

"It's already done," Inessa's stomach knotted.

Clint held her hand in his and squeezed, "Tony upgraded it a long time ago, it's been sitting in storage ever since. We didn't have him make it the way he did, it's just what was on hand. Sam actually volunteered to go get it from the warehouse."

 _You didn't- please say you didn't,_ Inessa had to spell a lot of the words- Clint wouldn't let her hand go. She lifted her free hand and felt the back of her neck- a flat metal rectangle surrounded by four smaller ones. Inessa bent her head forward as far as it would go and stretched it from side to side. She could _feel_ the wires snaking deep beneath her skin. The implant, the thing she used to call her _collar_. It was back.

She'd had the same dreams as Bucky, right down to seeing the world from his perspective. She remembered _exactly_ how she'd appeared standing in the ruins of Avengers Tower. The implant was on the back of her neck then too. Another piece of the future, sliding into place. The shadow of doom fell over her and made it feel like something was sitting on her chest again.

Natasha glanced to the heartrate monitor, "Nessie, calm down. It's just so we can make sure you're alright, so this doesn't happen again. It isn't a punishment, just like how it wasn't back then either."

 _Get out_! When they didn't listen, she tried screaming it. With her mouth numbed the words didn't quite form correctly, but they got the gist. Inessa shouted it at them until Steve waved Clint and Natasha from the room.

"It's going to be alright," Steve promised, "once you've calmed down, you'll see that it was necessary."

 _OUT_. He knew that sign, and the one-finger salute Inessa gave him before the door closed.

Inessa knew the anger burning through her wasn't the result of a Rager this time. The collar meant she wasn't doing enough to stop the future. Her mind scrambled. Everything the Rager said could be a clue, some way to convince the Avengers to take this all more seriously. Something it said, something it said…

There was the usual stuff, trying to piss her off. Nothing Madelyn Pryor hadn't tried when Inessa was her patient. Except-

 _"_ Dennisson was an animal. He wasn't Hydra, not really. He didn't have the elegance of true Hydra, the finesse of Pierce or the brilliance of Moore-"

 _Who the fuck is Moore?_

Inessa clapped her hands until a wall panel slid open and a remote Suit stepped out, "Are you trying to reach me, Miss Inessa?" JARVIS' voice chimed helpfully from the Suit. Inessa was just grateful the settings Tony created for Maya worked for her as well. The Suit knew sign language.

 _I need you to run a search on all records pertaining to or coming from Hydra- anything we've got. Look for Hydra personnel by the name of 'Moore'. Probably an officer, look at anyone equal in rank to Dennisson or Pierce, especially anyone in Mallory Ivaneau's past._

"Searching… Within those parameters I found sixteen records, all pertaining to one Commander Edward Moore."

 _That was fast,_ the search should have taken a _lot_ longer.

"The records are linked to your file, so it was easy to determine."

 _My file? Why?_

"Commander Edward Moore was a Hydra research supervisor."

 _OK, so I killed him?_ She didn't know the names of more than a handful of the Hydra officers she'd taken out over the years, so why had the Rager said the name?

"No. Hydra Commander Moore was the supervisor of many projects before he died of liver failure in 2002, including Project Helius- though he was in a meeting and therefore unaffected during the explosion. He is the one who declared your uncle Nikolai Ryker A.W.O.L. and finalized the burial of your parents in his place."

 _The brilliance of Moore_ , Inessa thought she'd found a lead, but all she had was another puzzle piece that she had no idea how to fit into whatever was going on. _What does he have to do with all of this?_

 _How sure are you that he's dead?_ Inessa signed for the Suit, _It could be a trick_.

"I will dispatch a remote Suit to locate and verify the remains," JARVIS was probably used to them sending him out for some late-night grave robbing. Nothing said _'dead'_ like a pile of bones with DNA to test.

 _Do it. As soon as possible. In broad daylight if you have to._

"Yes, Miss Inessa," the Suit stepped back into its nook in the wall.

Another puzzle piece, but if JARVIS came back and reported Commander Moore wasn't in his grave, then she'd have a lead at last. Inessa's frustration gave way to hope as a new thought dawned on her. Another puzzle piece- but this time it could be the one that tied everything together. 3,200 people dead in a reactor overload, a traitor in the Tower, her capture in Niflheim and subsequent rescue from the middle of illegal blood magic, a Councilman of Yggdrasil dead, a picture of the shooter with the eyes of one possessed by a Shadow, 4,000 missing in New York City, a silver lake in the Valley, a mysterious Hydra weapon, an Avenger lost in its retrieval, and a Rager in the Tower focused solely on her.

Inessa couldn't put the significance of those events into perspective without the unifier. The Shadow King was higher on the list of potential baddies than this Commander Moore, but she didn't need to know who the grand master of the entire scheme was. To get ahead of Thanos' Warlord she needed to know who his player on the ground was, the traitor in the Tower.

If Moore was alive, and Inessa was willing to bet her life that he was, he'd lead her straight to the traitor, and the entire scheme would unravel around him.

The implant on her neck stung as she settled back into the bed to wait for the Suit's confirmation of what she already knew, but it didn't scare her anymore. She had her lead, and now it was time to do what she did best.

It was time for her to be an Avenger.


	35. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Into the Nightmare**

"I vote we call ourselves the Nightmare Unit," Bobbi smiled at the heroes gathered around her. Those who would not be joining the strike team remained apart. They would watch until their personnel was taken away.

"We're not calling ourselves that," Daisy was more than a little peeved with Director Coulson for telling her she couldn't go, that they 'couldn't risk' her, but she was ignoring him.

"I think we should vote," Bobbi shrugged and smiled, "sound off with your names, affiliation, powers, and vote on the team name! I'll start- SHIELD Agent Bobbi Morse, AKA Mockingbird. I don't have any powers but I could kill you all with my pinky and not chip a nail and _I_ believe Nightmare Unit is a kick-ass name."

"Oh my god, Amadeus comes in female-form," a short, dark-haired boy was still adjusting his ratty red cape as he stepped forward. Vision and Wanda weren't fans of his admittance to the group. The others turned to look at him and he spared a hand long enough to wave, "Billy Kaplan, Wiccan. Whatever she can do, I can do," he nodded to Wanda, "I'm from the Camp Hammond bunch. I gotta admit- Nightmare Unit's not bad…"

"Any relation?" Bobbi pointed from Billy to Wanda- they looked decidedly similar.

"She's sort of my mom."

"In an alternate timeline," Wanda rolled her eyes.

"It was an accident," Billy confirmed, as if that answered _anything_.

"King T'Challa of Wakanda, Black Panther. I'm with the Avengers. I don't give a damn what we call ourselves."

Everyone took exception at his abrupt presence in the group. He was standing with those staying behind, looking decidedly angry, and only now he stepped forward, "No lieutenants," Wanda reminded him.

"Queen Shuri will fill my role during my absence."

Vision put a hand on Wanda's shoulder to stop her from arguing, "Your sister has agreed to this?"

"She will when you tell her," T'Challa stared Vision down. "Bringing back King Odin is Thor's duty. Fate has kept him from it, and so it is my job as an Avenger to stand in his stead. Shuri would agree."

"Besides," Sharon had already forced her way into the raiding party, naturally she was on T'Challa's side, "Wanda, you said Lieutenants couldn't go because it would screw up with the leadership if we died- T'Challa and I _have_ no teams. Sam took our people with him on his little hunting trip. If we die, what does it matter? Steve and Thor are _gone_. Our team members are _gone_ \- without our permission, mind you."

Wanda just shrugged, "Fine, I guess."

"Sharon Carter, Agent 13. Formerly SHIELD, now an Avenger. I'm in the same boat as Bobbi- no powers but I can hold my own. I don't think we _need_ a special name, but whatever floats your boat."

"Terrance Ward, Trauma. Camp Hammond. Nightmare Unit's fine." He was making it _very_ clear he didn't want to go. No one could get him to meet their eyes. Sending him back to the Nightmare Realm would be the same as making Bucky sit in a reprogramming chair, or taking Inessa on a camping trip to her old cell in Astana- no one was eager for him to go, but they weren't stopping him either. He knew the terrain, their enemy, the palace- who else could lead them on this?

"Daisy Johnson. Hero name is Quake. I'm with SHIELD. I'm being peer-pressured into 'Nightmare Unit'… Also, my boss expressly ordered me _not_ to join this little adventure, so I'll be pushing hardest for us to succeed."

"Six is the maximum we should allow," Wanda looked back to the Avengers, SHIELD agents, and Camp Hammond teens behind her, "anything larger would draw attention."

"It shall be eight," Sif announced as she looked over the group, "Fandrel is being guarded too closely to participate in this venture, but Hogun and Volstagg shall accompany you. They are two of Prince Thor's most trusted allies. Their presence will reassure King Odin and he will trust you all more easily."

"You're not coming?" Daisy had just kind of assumed the warrior was joining them.

She shook her head, "If word gets to Loki that a group has entered the Nightmare Realm his first move will be to incapacitate Heimdall, and without him you will not return. My part in this mission will be to guard him against Loki and his forces."

"Now for the difficult part," Heimdall's eyes sparked as he began to gather his power, "where you go none may return easily. Terrance Ward, you know this very well. I have only enough power to break through once, and sending your Nightmare Unit through will weaken me greatly. If you wish to see this world again, get away from the landing site as quickly as possible. Morpheus will be aware of your entrance. King Odin's power in tandem with my own will be enough to bring you all back through- but you must reclaim your landing position. That is where the barriers between worlds will be weakest. You have three days to complete your task and return to your original position. _Precisely_ 72 hours after your departure I shall open the Bifrost yet again. If King Odin is not reaching out, then I will be unable to retrieve you. I will not be able to open the doorway again for many weeks, and by then you will all be dead."

"Right," Daisy looked to each of them, "don't miss the window. No wandering off."

"My father will try to confuse you to trap you," Terrance offered, "think of the person or thing you hold most dear. Remember that it is _impossible_ for them to exist in the Nightmare realm. He will attempt to confuse you and convince you they are real. _They. Are. Not. There._ Sharon-"

"-if I see Steve, I'll run the other way, how's that?" she grumbled, but secretly she was hoping Morpheus would try just that- after everything it wouldn't be _horrible_ seeing him again, even if he was just an illusion…

"Billy-"

"Teddy's been trapped in other realms before," Billy shoved a hand through his hair- a nervous tick, "but I already know it won't be this easy to get him back. I won't let him distract me."

"Teddy?" Billy was the only real unknown in the group, Daisy needed to know what to look out for.

"His-"

"-my boyfriend," Billy nodded, "think the Hulk with wings. Except he can control his transformations."

"We'll keep our eyes open for a psychotic pterodactyl then," Daisy was loving this more every second- in a strictly sarcastic sense of the word _loving_.

Sif nodded, "You will need to explain this to Volstagg and Hogun when you see them, Heimdall shall be drawing them in separately. Terrance Ward- do you know the path you must travel?"

"Through the mountains, if you land us close enough," he nodded, "it's suicide. Morpheus won't expect us to go that route. Besides, there are caverns we can hide in if, by some miracle, we have time to kill with Odin."

"Good luck," Wanda stepped back from the group with Vision, "your first priority is finding the King and making it back alive. We'll hold this world until your return. Be safe. Terrance, by virtue of experience you're the leader. Does everyone agree with that?"

"No," Terrance crossed his arms stubbornly as the others in the Nightmare Unit signaled their agreement.

"Ready yourselves," Heimdall and Sif also backed away, "72 hours. Precision is key."

"We'll be there," the Avengers and SHIELD agents waved their goodbyes. Heimdall's golden eyes flashed, a blast wave shot out from the group, throwing everyone beyond the circle to the ground. A loud clap like a sonic boom ruptured eardrums and brought bits of the cavern ceiling down into the camp, and the raiding party vanished.

Sif helped Wanda and Vision to their feet before passing a small purse to the Avenger's High Commander. Wanda's ears were ringing, but she opened the drawstring bag. Three Asgardian healing stones tumbled out. Sif pointed to her ears, then to those still finding their footing, and ended on the stones. Wanda gave her a thumbs-up and gave the stones to Vision to place around the camp where their powers could help everyone.

Heimdall put a hand on the Lady's shoulder. He seemed smaller, diminished by his display of power. The brilliant flash of light that consumed them seemed tame in comparison to the conflagration that swallowed the Nightmare Unit.

Three days.

 _God-speed._

* * *

"HALT, FIENDS!" a large man with a flaming red beard was throwing chicken legs at them before anyone even knew they'd been transported. Billy panicked and lightning arced from his fingers. When it touched the offending poultry, the leg exploded. Another hit Daisy in the side of the head.

"WAIT!" Sharon grabbed Daisy's shoulder before she could set her eyes on Volstagg and do to his head what Billy did to the chicken (or chicken-like creature), "Are you Volstagg or Hogun?"

The man lowered his hand slightly, fully prepared to attack with the chunk of bread he'd been chewing on when something swept him from the Asgardian banquet hall, "I am Volstagg- who are you to seek me out in such a manner?" A low growl sounded from just behind Sharon's ear. She whipped around and grabbed Hogun by the throat-

"STOP!" Terrance was already looking around them at the dark, dead landscape. It was like being stuck outside during a full moon- just enough light broke through the thick clouds to catch the gleaming tips of the obsidian mountains towering above them. One peak shot up to pierce through them, high above all others. The Southern Mountain. Heimdall had good aim, "Short story? You're in the Nightmare Realm. We're Avengers, SHIELD, and Camp Hammond. Heimdall and Sif transported us here to locate and rescue _your_ King Odin from Morpheus and bring him home to Asgard to depose Loki, who's been masquerading as him. I'm Morpheus' son, Trauma. I'm going to lead you all to his place, but we only have 3 days before we lose any chance to get back home. We're by the Southern Mountain- Morpheus' palace is on the other side of that. Now, we need to get out of here, _fast_. His creatures will be here any minute. It's a two day journey from where we are to where he is, we need to cut that in _half_."

"So if you have any questions Volstagg, ask them while running," Hogun stepped back out of Sharon's grasp without difficulty. Human strength was nothing to a Vanir.

Volstagg returned the chunk of bread to his mouth, "Well? King Odin awaits!"

"One more thing, and this is very important-" Bobbi winked at Volstagg, "We're calling ourselves the Nightmare Unit."

His grin was almost psychotic, "Excellent."

"Idiots-"

"Fools-" Hogun and Daisy spoke simultaneously, then regarded one another with respect.

"Lead the way, son of Morpheus." Trauma allowed Billy to make all introductions as he led the group, running, towards the massive spire before them. Three days, no time for rest, and only field rations… there was a damn good chance they were all going to die.

* * *

 _When are you going to speak to me again?_

 _When you're ready to tell me everything._

 _You know I can't do that. We've been over this already._

 _Well then, I guess you'll have to decide what's mission-critical- your secrets or my help._

Bucky sat alone on the bridge of the ship and watched the cosmos pass. A small voice in the back of his head whispered that he'd chosen the wrong side in all of this. Maybe Sam was in the right after all. Inessa wasn't worth trusting. She'd known all this time that Red Skull was the mastermind behind everything. He could see it in her eyes when he finally looked up from the monitor. _What does that make me, bait? A diversion? A gift?_ He knew she wasn't in league with the founder of Hydra- after everything they'd both been through he didn't even need to look at her to see that. Still, the little voice kept whispering…

People kept telling him that with Inessa it was all about what she _didn't_ say. Until now though he didn't really know what they meant.

 _If I take this ship back to Berny's right now we'll all be OK_. It was a little joke to himself- but was it such a bad idea? Sure, Inessa would find herself imprisoned forever (best case scenario), but if they just turned back now at least everyone would _live_. He could warn Sam of what he was headed towards, _who_ he was headed towards. He'd make Sam believe him and they could avoid running into Red Skull's trap-

It would feel like he was abandoning Steve and the others. Even after everything he hadn't really considered them gone- at least not until he saw who Jonathan Smith _really_ was. But in sacrificing the six leaders (if anything was left of them) how many would be saved? If they continued on Inessa's path then Red Skull would be adding Bucky, Inessa, Sam _and_ his entire team to the count of those dead. A third of the Avenger's fighting force- maybe more if anyone defected while they were away. It was as good as handing the Earth and the lives of everyone on it over to him. Minimal defenses, no Realm support, and with his 'Jonathan Smith' routine they'd probably let him land unchallenged.

The thought of how easily Red Skull would tare through their world was so starting that Bucky found himself with his hand actually on the ships 'Return' button. Six in exchange for millions- _billions_ maybe… No, not six- seven. Bucky wasn't going to kid himself- he knew Sam would kill Inessa on sight.

"Don't press it," Inessa peeked out from around the edge of the bridge door Bucky had destroyed before they landed at Berny's. Her voice held no surprise and no fear. It was like she'd been waiting to have this conversation, all exhaustion and resignation, "I know it's tempting to just give up, but don't press it. He's watching us now. If we turn back he'll kill _all_ of us, Sam included, before we're even within communications range… From here on in we have a knife to our throat at all times, don't forget that."

"You're leading Sam and his team to their death."

"I know. I keep trying to shake them off, make them give up and return to Earth. He hates me too much for that now. He _needs_ to see me die- he's convinced himself that I'm the devil."

"Is he wrong?"

Again, silence for a time.

"Amadeus told me something after you left us in the cell," Bucky turned around to face her, "he said you found evidence that the puppet-master- you know, _Red-fucking-Skull-_ tried to recreate your powers. Did he succeed? Is there another Shadow out there that he controls? Just tell me _something_ \- just answer _one_ question and I'll follow your lead."

Inessa looked down at her hands and in that gesture Bucky knew she wouldn't help him understand, "I came to tell you- to tell you that when we get to the mining colony you can hop off. Defecting to Sam's side won't set off Red Skull, if anything it'll encourage him. Just- just do me one favor? Don't let Sam deliver the killing blow, and don't you do it either. If anyone kills me, then let it be Eoin. If any of you survive this I'd rather the guilt be on his tab, not an Avenger's."

"I'll try to remember that," he snapped softly as she retreated to parts of the ship unknown.

Five years going from monastery to monastery, keeping his vow of silence more often than he broke it, and already the Winter Soldier's temper was getting the best of him. Since their journey began he'd snapped at her a few times, become frustrated with her secrets and her plots, but he'd never said something with the sole purpose of hurting her. Now that record was broken.

He needed to talk to someone- anyone but Nessie. Maybe his temper was affecting his judgement, maybe part of him knew that it was the only way he'd get a straight answer… The same gut reaction that put his hand on the return button helped him find his way to another next to the monitor labeled 'Recall'. Hopefully that was Space-Talk for re-dial.

Hit. _Ring._ Wait. Hit. _Ring._ Wait. Hit. _Ring_ -

"WHAT?!" Sam's shout came through so loudly that Bucky spun around to make sure Inessa was truly gone.

"I- um, I need to talk to you." He could see the occasional shoulder or head as the other Avengers still on the bridge jostled to see who Sam was talking to. When they realized it was Bucky, Inessa's ally, they all fell silent.

On Bucky's end the scene wasn't too different. The room felt _colder_ , his voice echoed slightly harder (or perhaps he just hadn't noticed it before) and he could feel eyes on him. He turned to look into the shadows and saw her- Nadya's silver eyes glared him down. She was half out of the darkness with a snarl on her face and her haunches up.

"I don't have anything to say to you," Sam reached forward to hit a button and end the call.

"WAIT!" he practically shouted the word. Sam hesitated and gave him the time he needed, "I want to know what happened!"

Sam snorted, "You won't listen. You've been with that _creature_ too long. She's in your head and she won't let you go."

"I _will_ listen!" Bucky snapped, "I've _tried_ being the nice guy in all of this. I've _tried_ to help, to honor the debt I owe Inessa _and_ the one I owe to you and Steve. I'm _done_. I'm done following her blindly and if she won't answer me, then _someone_ sure as hell will!"

His temper impressed Sam, it enraged Nadya. Bucky did believe Inessa when she said he couldn't warn Sam that he was heading straight into Red Skull's lair, but that wasn't what he needed to know, "Ask away. Unlike _Nadya_ I'll answer straight."

"What happened to make you, of all people, turn on her? Who is this Noelle Martinez and what does she have to do with anything?"

The Falcon actually _laughed_ , "What does she have to do with anything? _Everything_. Fine, you want to know why I stopped subscribing to Inessa's bull-shit? That is a question I'm more than happy to answer." His nose twitched into a cruel snarl as his mind cast back, "Noelle vanished in a mission a bit over a month before the Tower exploded. Inessa convinced everyone some _Rager_ was leeching her strength… Isn't it convenient? A creature only she could see?"

He cracked his knuckles and settled back in his chair. The other Avengers began to dissipate rather than be around when his temper kicked up again- no one wanted to be the next Amadeus, "She let everything quiet down for a while and lured us all into a false sense of security… Fifteen days before the Tower exploded we finally found Noelle."

Sam glared at Bucky, "At least what was left of her."

* * *

 **Note:**

I've been having trouble accessing the new reviews- for some reason they're showing up on the review _count_ but the only way I can _read_ them is through e-mail, so I'll respond to it here-

Someone asked how many flashback chapters were left. We're actually getting pretty close to the ending. I had everything broken down into 20 present-time chapters and 20 flashback chapters, but most of those were later combined. As it stands right now I think there will be only be 3-4 of each left now. For the flashback chapters though that's not as much as it sounds like- 2 chapters will be devoted to Avengers Tower exploding.

So yeah, pretty soon the Tower will explode and the finale will begin :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

So many sneaky sneaky plot twists :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) No one's guessed right yet :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

And then I abandon "Project Echo-verse" for "Valkyrie Wars-verse" as my ever-patient writing partner Marie and I drop our new series (we're going to post all of it in one big multi-chapter upload). And whenever the PE re-write gets to Part 3 I'm going to be massively consolidating characters so I'm not throwing so many at you all _

Get ready for the proverbial mic-drop (unless I can actually work a microphone into the story somehow- cosmic karaoke? nightmare karaoke?)!

~Kristen


	36. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: 15 Days Before the Explosion**

For those in the Tower things were finally settling down, but to Inessa it was simply the calm before the storm. She freely admitted being manipulated by the Rager (which, and Thor discovered in the Asgardian Bestiary, was _actually_ what they were called) and though she still adamantly denied being affected by anything _close_ to blood magic, it was progress that Steve was willing to reward with more freedom in her movements.

Still though, for her the hits kept coming: JARVIS dug Edward Moore's body up precisely where he was supposed to be. FitzSimmons' tests on the liquid samples they'd taken from the new Lake in the Valley confirmed what everyone already suspected- the silver goo was none other than the irradiated remains of _people_ exposed to a Helius device. Smart money was that it was all that remained of 4,000 missing New Yorkers. It wasn't enough to convince Steve that someone was trying to create a second Shadow, but for her it was more than enough.

For years she'd been trying to plan out what she'd do if the vision looked like it was coming to pass. So far all she could do was slip into the medical supply room and inject copious amounts of harmless saline solution into Simmons' anti-shadow vaccine. Many Avengers were already using it to erase their marks, but if she couldn't find them she couldn't protect them- not that it was helping Noelle any.

Every last imaginary scenario she'd concocted over the years had centered around her at least _knowing_ who was pulling the strings. Nadya was stalking Marie to no avail, so Inessa was forced to instead sic her on the Rager. Whatever they could do, their only defense was invisibility- it didn't take much for Nadya to bite and claw her way through it. Unfortunately _invisible_ proved to be a new kind of problem: when she reported to Steve that it was gone and she was free from its influence he looked at her like an adult humoring a child. She doubted he'd ever believed her about the Rager, but so long as she admitted something was controlling her he was content to leave her be.

Her health began to improve, just at a depressingly _normal_ rate. Banner and Travis called it proof of how far gone she'd been by the time the condition was caught. Inessa said it only served to show that whatever was sapping the life out of her had to still be active- if not the Asgardian healing stone would have put her right within a _week_.

She spent more and more time staring at the timeline in her rom. The red strings doubled, then tripled. Everything pointed at her, but how? The attack by the Keponakan crime family could have been stopped. There was no real need to hold off, she'd just wanted to be sure they got all the details. At best it was a bad call to pull Amadeus and Noelle's focus and place it on a too-easy case… It was possible the other case had been a decoy. If that was true she'd fallen for a slight of hand, but nothing about the second case seemed out of the ordinary…

JARVIS compiled maps and demographic information on every person abducted in New York City- or at least suspected of being among those taken. None of them stood out- everyone belonged to different genders, age groups, races, ethnic groups, religions, and economic backgrounds. A true random sample- and Inessa was willing to bet that was the point.

… Maybe that was the _entire_ point.

"JARVIS, can I have Steve and Tony up here?" what she needed next would require more authority than she currently possessed.

"I'm afraid Mister Rogers and Master Stark are in a meeting at the moment."

"That's fine, just- send them up as soon as they're free." Her mind was already racing on to other problems. _Maybe I'm not so crazy after all_ , Inessa moved to the section of her timeline devoted to the Shadow King, _I mean, if it was just this then…_ She glanced down the wall- every event, every incident catalogued… _Just take it one thing at a time._ She stared down the portion of the timeline reserved for Realm mysteries.

Odin was always against major operations against the Shadow King. He _knew_ Inessa, the Warriors Three, and their retinue were close to striking at the heart of the man's empire- and he recalled them. Hot-blooded warriors, summoned home at first light- it wasn't difficult to guess that they would have moved. That much darkness made it almost overwhelming for Inessa and her powers- daylight made her hone in on dark spots, showed the smaller details, while night let her see the bigger things. If they'd attacked in day she might have seen the beacons surrounding Niflheim.

The Shadow King- she'd wondered before if he might be Loki. Odin had been different, Thor said, since the loss of Loki and Queen Freya- and all agreed he was, perhaps, _too_ different… So then, Odin _also_ made sense as the Shadow King. His disinterest in stopping the Child of Thanos made much more sense if you considered his non-involvement was in the other's best interest- _his_ best interest.

Inessa put her hand against the wall on the Asgardian timeline. _Odin and the Shadow King- both of them are Loki in disguise._ Once she thought it, it cemented in her mind.

She glanced to her left- the adjacent wall had detailed notes on what she remembered from her vision as well as printouts of the transcript JARVIS had saved as Bucky told the Avengers on Clint's farm. Terrance told her it might not be a warning, but rather a clue… _You brought it here. You said it would be safe…_

 _So what did Bucky bring?_

"Can you send a Suit up with the box of Bucky Barnes' belongings? The ones he left behind when he took off?"

"As opposed to all the _other_ boxes of his belongings?" JARVIS' sarcasm setting had been cranked up again- a standard prank when Amadeus was in a bad mood.

"Yes, as opposed to them." _Something_ had to be in that box, but she just couldn't figure out what. JARVIS had already provided her with a detailed inventory. Nothing unusual (well, other than a metal arm). _In the vision I accused him of bringing something here, but what_? It really hadn't taken long, once Terrance pointed out she had to look at the vision as a clue, to notice that particular line. She confirmed it with the other Avengers' memories of Bucky's account- but the problem was that he left _nothing_ behind.

Bucky was with the Avengers for all of six months, give or take. When he left he took pretty much just clothing. His metal arm, Avengers uniform, blades, and a few guns were all that remained- _none of which_ were brought in by Bucky. The clothes he wore when he arrived at the Tower were so grime-covered they were burned and his original arm was used for scrap-

"JARVIS, where's the rest of the original arm unit Bucky came in with?"

"Master Stark has it in storage along with Bucky's other possessions."

Inessa frowned, "It wasn't on the inventory you gave me," she grabbed the page to be sure.

"What was not on the inventory?" JARVIS' tone changed instantly, like he'd rebooted mid-chat.

"Bucky's original arm."

"I do not have any records of the whereabouts of that particular item." Panic flared in Inessa's chest, _Not again_. Someone was editing JARVIS' data.

 _Secrecy be damned!_ Inessa closed her eyes and launched into the Valley. Nadya, as always, sensed her mistress' intent before she'd even realized it herself. By the time Inessa's conscience entered the Valley, she already had the arm. If she wasn't disembodied, Inessa would have cried with relief. Her wolves, at least, were loyal. Nadya set the arm down softly near the formless darkness of Inessa. She conveyed to the creature her gratitude, then guided it back through the darkness. When Inessa's eyes focused once again, the arm was in her hands.

 _No alarms?_ She wasn't about to question her luck.

Inessa looked the metallic wreck over as carefully as possible. All panels had been removed, and large sections of machinery were missing- probably cannibalized into the newer arm that Tony had created, "JARVIS, was there ever anything odd reported regarding the original arm? Did Tony register anything weird? Any frequencies emitted?"

"A note was made in the technical file regarding and unusually strong-" JARVIS' voice phased out for a moment, "No records found."

 _An unusually strong-_ Inessa turned it over, looking even more closely at the wires and screws. Some sort of buildup covered most of the interior- a side effect of the abuse it suffered while Bucky was on the run from Hydra. There _were_ a few screws that appeared cleaner than their surroundings though. Inessa retrieved a small kit of tools from her kitchen junk drawer and began to work at them. A few moments later she sensed a presence in the room. Just as she pulled a small, silver box from the remains of the arm, Nadya leapt from the shadows with a vicious snarl.

She landed just a few feet from Inessa, haunches raised. Inessa wasted no time- she connected her mind to the wolf's and examined the thing in her hand with more senses than she alone possessed. A low, constant _hum_ came from the device. Its sound was deep- mechanical, but not electrical somehow. While Inessa did have brief, fleeting memories of stalking Bucky and whispering in his mind for him to find her body, she did not recall hearing that noise… though, in all fairness, she hadn't been looking for it.

Whatever it was, it had Nadya on edge. Inessa forced the creature back into the Valley for its own protection and began to pry at a small seam in the box near the connection ports. She managed only to get the flat head of the screwdriver wedged into it- but it was enough.

Blue light shot out of the seam and nearly blinded her. The humming grew louder and became audible with her human ears as clearly as it was for Nadya. Inessa had a bad feeling, a _very_ bad feeling. A Hydra device from the organizations early days with a burning blue power source- it was more than likely that this was a tesseract-cell battery.

 _An unusually strong power supply_. She was willing to bet her life that was what JARVIS was going to say next (not in the same way she was willing to bet her life that Edward Moore wasn't dead).

"JARVIS- did Bucky ever say the arm was _safe_?"

"No record found."

"Did he ever say that something _would be safe_ here?"

"Of course," JARVIS sounded surprised, "he often said _you_ would be safe here."

 _OK, if the Tower exploded I could see why I'd be snippy about that one._ Inessa looked down the timeline to the most recent point. _Noelle vanishes with a Hydra weapon, Bucky had a tesseract power source in his arm…_

Loki was a known associate of Thanos, maybe not the level of Child, those tended to run solar systems, but certainly a minion. His masquerade as King Odin explained how Sebastian Morris came to work with Cul Borson, who was supposedly imprisoned under Odin's direct supervision. Sebastian Morris _was_ a Child of Thanos…

And a ranking member of Hydra.

So, Hydra power supply, a Hydra affiliate attempts to snatch me for Thanos and wipe out the Avengers, and a Hydra weapon vanishes with Noelle in tow… But that power supply was what Inessa from the future was mad about- probably. So what could a tesseract do?

Thor said its power was immense- but the only things they'd ever known it to do was act as a port-a-door for the Bifrost and kill people-

Unless it didn't. _Maybe it's always been a door._ The _hum_ she'd heard from the battery wasn't electrical- it was nothing like any energy source she'd ever heard. Now, the Tesseract wasn't like any energy source _anywhere_ , but the sound seemed closer to radio waves than anything- so maybe it was. Maybe it was broadcasting something- a frequency to mess with the computers, perhaps? A sort of cyber Wi-Fi? If that was so, then who was on the other-

 _No._ _Hell_ _no._ _Fuck_ _no._ No string of expletives was enough to stop the sinking in Inessa's chest. She stepped away from the wall quickly, so quickly that she tripped over her own feet and wound up crashing to the floor. The few times she got Steve to talk about killing Red Skull he'd told her about how the Tesseract had destroyed him- surrounded him in darkness and, moments later, there was nothing left. If Thor had heard the story, would he have guessed what Inessa was guessing?

Red Skull was smart, ruthless, and terrifying in his own right. He'd have made Sebastian Morris look like a _kitten_. If Thanos found him in the Realms he'd surely have added him to the collection… And Red Skull's reputation credited him with enough ambition to become a Warlord- more than enough.

 _This isn't happening_ , Inessa scrambled to her feet and dropped the tesseract device. _This isn't happening. This can't be happening._ She spun around the room, dazed, not sure where to look. _It's not him. It isn't Red Skull. I'm missing something. It has to be someone else. Marie knows. She must._ Her mind wouldn't let her stop though. Pieces began to fall into place faster and faster. Before Thanos' attack- after Loki failed to take earth- Hydra became more active. They jumped from the shadows, ramped up their activity, and in Morris' attack even the Red Skull's own daughter joined the fight.

 _We're all going to die…_

* * *

Sam was grateful he'd swiped the anti-Inessa gun when he did, and he was even more grateful to Thor for sending it off-world to Berny. Tony looked straight at him from across the meeting table with a glare so intense Sam half expected lasers to shoot out. Apparently the theft had been noticed.

Steve was pacing around the meeting room table and avoiding eye contact with everyone. The first thing he'd done was throw out all lieutenants, save Amadeus- even Sharon was expelled. Whatever he had to say, Tony clearly was in on the secret and had free time to do other things.

Like glare.

"Steve, you're making me dizzy," Natasha grabbed his arm as he passed by her and stopped him mid-step, "spit it out."

"He's not quite grasping the rules of 'Duck, Duck, Goose'. Steve- you're supposed to tap people!" Clint whispered helpfully.

"WOULD YOU CUT IT OUT?!" Steve snapped and wrenched his arm from Natasha's grip, "No more jokes!"

Thor let his apprehension show, "We all know what this is Steve. This is no mere Leader's meeting… The moment you expelled my lieutenant this became a war counsel. If we must go to battle, it is your job to say why."

"We found Noelle Martinez," Tony kept his eyes on Sam. Amadeus felt a cold sweat breaking out. His tone wasn't very encouraging.

"How?" Banner looked from Steve to Tony, "How long have you known her location?"

"Five days."

"Why weren't we informed sooner?" Clint demanded.

"Because we couldn't get to her. The suits have been excavating," Steve answered for Tony, "but they're almost through now."

"Excavating? What does that mean?"

"When I created the embedded comm units I used a very specific type of nano tech that gives off a low-level distress beacon if it's damaged or removed in some way. I sent an activation burst to that alarm, but I wasn't able to get a response beacon from it. I increased the signal strength tenfold, still nothing."

"But you have one now?"

Tony finally broke eye contact with Sam and turned to Wanda, "I've had JARVIS putting boots on the ground in any of Inessa's known haunts or recent mission locations, each equipped with an enhanced communications receiver. We all know about Nessie's preference for underground structures and natural caverns. The theory was that the suit would pick up a comm signal too weak to reach the receiver on our satellites. We didn't find anything."

"So I suggested broadening the search to include _anywhere_ we know with any sort of affiliation to Inessa. Good or bad," Steve cleared his throat.

"Oh no," Natasha found Clint's hand and held it tight, "not there…"

He nodded once, "Between Bucky and SHIELD we thought it was gone for good, but the remote Suit confirmed that the comm unit assigned to Noelle Martinez is broadcasting from the crater that was once Hydra Facility Astana."

"Based on signal interference and location it's a safe bet she's in Inessa's cell, or what's left of it. There's just one problem-"

"Noelle's unit is reporting zero brain activity," Steve stared at every Avenger in turn, "you all know what that means."

"Nessie wouldn't _kill_ Noelle- what motive does she have?!" Sam pushed back from the table and stood, "I'm not going to listen to you railroad her again! I don't believe she has _anything_ to do with this, and neither should you!"

"You believe it," Steve walked over to face him directly, "or you wouldn't have taken the weapon. You don't _want_ to believe it, but you're not stupid." He turned back to the others, "Tony and I are going to supervise the final stages of excavation. Scott Lang is coming along in case we need someone to get through sensitive areas of rubble. Banner, we need you to recover the remains and get them back to an Avengers Facility ASAP- preferably your remote facility. I don't want them in the Tower- just in case. Wanda, I may need you and your abilities to help clear the way as well. Thor, go to Banner's facility and guard him. Whatever remains we recover _does not leave your sight_. Is that understood? The rest of you will keep order here. Amadeus- start preparing yourself. Something tells me you'll be a Leader very soon."

"No you won't! There's another explanation for all of this, there HAS TO BE!" Sam grabbed the door handle and stormed out of the meeting.

"JARVIS, give Sam access to Inessa's apartment, but keep a suit on standby for his protection," Steve shook his head, "Everyone suit up. We leave immediately."

* * *

Inessa couldn't accept it. If this was Red Skull- she knew the stories. Not a single one ended well. The device was on her neck. She looked as sallow and weary as she had in the visions- the tower could explode at any minute. It wasn't him. It _couldn't_ be him. He had his name stuck in her head and it was blinding her to the real Warlord.

"INESSA!" Sam crashed into the room with a bang as she paced, "Did you- did you-" he was white as a ghost and out of breath- most likely from running up the stairs to the apartment instead of waiting for the elevator.

Seeing him made it that much worse. It was Red Skull, and she couldn't protect her friends. It _wasn't_ Red Skull, it was someone else, and she was too blind to save anyone.

Inessa shoved past him and ran to the kitchen. Baking helped clear her mind, right? She needed all the help she could get. It was irrational and panicked, but she did it all the same. Sam followed her as she randomly grabbed at the supplies, "Inessa- they say they found Noelle's comm. She's in Astana. She's- please, tell me you didn't-"

"I didn't!" her voice was too high.

Sam heard the fear, but he didn't know what it was in response to, "Nessie, tell me you didn't do it and I'll believe you. The Shadow King is doing this, he's- right? Nessie! STOP!" She froze, "TELL ME! Why is Noelle in Astana?"

 _He's won_. She reached for a glass spice jar, but she couldn't lift it. She didn't think she could be more scared than she was when his name first appeared in her mind. She was wrong- about that and so much more. _They'll never believe me. No matter what I say… They'll turn on me._

"Ness, Inessa. What happened to Noelle? It wasn't you, right? It wasn't your fault?" He wanted more than anything for this to make sense. Inessa wasn't just his friend or his teammate- like all of them she was his _family_. He couldn't believe the worst of her any more than he could believe it of Tony or Steve or even Natasha- the only one who _had_ been 'the worst' once upon a time, "No," he was talking himself into it as fervently as Inessa was trying to convince herself Red Skull wasn't the Warlord of Thanos, "no, you're a good person. You know it, I know it. We'll figure this out together and find a way to convince the others."

"Please, s-stop patronizing me," she was whispering, but all of the sudden she was more sick of Sam's pity than anything else.

" have to remember who you are. You're a good kid, you wouldn't-"

"STOP! PATRONIZING! ME!" Inessa screamed suddenly. She grabbed the spice jar and threw it at Sam as hard as she could.

He didn't have time to react. When it hit, he fell back into the table, stumbled, and crashed to the floor. Inessa stood frozen, shaking with a rage all her own- no invisible monsters to blame this time. She was frustrated, angry, scared, and all with her friends lives in the balance. She hated his pity, but she also hated herself for striking out.

Sam was stunned. Pain radiated from above his eye. He found the point of impact with his hand as he stared at the jar next to him. His fingers came away from his temple bloody. Sam picked up the jar and turned it over slowly, as if convincing himself it was real.

Surprise turned into anger faster than Inessa's fear had. She saw it in him, like a switch was flipped, "Sam, I'm sorry, but-"

"You… Bitch…" he climbed slowly to his feet, "I was the _only_ one left who was willing to believe you weren't doing this, you were being set up. Even when it stopped making sense!" He went from shouting to suddenly whispering, and his voice cut through the silence even more, "If Noelle is dead they'll lock you up," he backed towards the door, blood dripping into his eye. He pointed to the only wall in the living room in English- the vision of the future, "- and if you hurt them, god help me I will CUT YOU DOWN!"

The door slammed so hard behind him it shook a few of the index cards free from the wall. Inessa put a hand over her mouth. When she thought the vision was complete, that the explosion could happen at any moment, she'd forgotten the most important part- Sam. Her ally. Her enemy. She was responsible for setting the final piece on the board.

 _God save us all..._

* * *

"We have Noelle Martinez," Steve made the announcement through comms several hours later. Sam, Natasha, Clint and Amadeus were sitting together in the meeting room. Sam had returned from Inessa's apartment bleeding and angrier than Natasha had seen him in _years_. She didn't ask what the spice jar in his hand was for, but if he squeezed it any harder it was going to shatter. He wouldn't look at any of them- especially not Amadeus.

"What's her condition?" Just based on Steve's tone Clint knew it was a dumb question, but he had to ask.

"Take Inessa to the cell beneath the Tower," Steve's voice was as icy as Sam's had been when he threatened the girl, "place her under arrest for the murder of Noelle Martinez. If she resists... If she resists then terminate with _extreme_ prejudice."


	37. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: Extreme Measures**

"So that's why you're hunting her? Because she threw a _jar_ at your head?" Bucky leaned back in his seat and made a face, "You're as crazy as she is."

"No," Sam snapped, "that's why I stopped buying into her _bullshit_! They found Noelle in the Project Helius lab in so many pieces Banner had to take her back in _bags_! Inessa tortured her for _hours_. There were marks on her tongue- at one point, fairly early on, she tried to swallow her own tongue. Inessa ripped it out of her _face_ and turned her so she wouldn't _drown_. It took Noelle long enough to die that the blood was almost clotted before her heart stopped beating."

"Why?" That's the part Bucky couldn't follow, "Why would she kill her? At the Tower you arrested Inessa for the murders of Steve, Tony, Thor, Nat, Clint, and Banner. You never mentioned anyone named Noelle. Explain that for me."

"I said she killed her," Sam nodded, "I didn't say Noelle was innocent. Inessa was using the Helius lab as a private office for what appeared to be years. One of the things we found there were the results of a bone analysis Inessa had JARVIS run on Noelle after she was injured on a mission _two years ago_."

"And it said what, 'kill me please'?"

"It said she'd been cryogenically frozen at some point in her life," Sam's response shut Bucky down. "Inessa spent _two years_ running background checks, tracking down people, and she never said a word about it. She tore Noelle's life apart piece by piece. Noelle Martinez was an alias. For who? We never found out. Apparently she decided _your way_ was the best way to solve problems. Dimitri Aristov," he said the name in response to a questioning look from Bucky.

He shrugged it off, "You know she suspected there was a traitor, so she found them. So she killed them. So what? You didn't throw me in a cell when I killed Aristov, even after I admitted it to Steve I was still allowed to walk out of there."

"Did she tell you about the attack in Indonesia? The phone records that tipped off the crime syndicate there to mobilize the _moment_ she went off-world?" Bucky shook his head, " _Her_ case, _her_ responsibility. She ordered her own team not to look into it and _minutes_ before she went to the Realms one of their agents receives a call from _her_ phone- and everything starts."

Bucky opened his mouth to reply, but Sam cut him off, "The records were deleted. Tony found the hole- she probably forced Amadeus do it. She kept copies for herself though, for her _collection_. Copies of e-mails between her and a student offering to pay him for pictures of the park on the same day and time a member of the Counsel of Yggdrasil is murdered- a kid who was later possessed by a Shadow and made to kill everyone, then detonate _himself_. Lists of criteria for medical testing, a print-out of a list with the names of _every missing person in New York City_ which according to her Tower computer registered as being made _one week_ before Councilman Ingvir's death. The fact that the original Helius device in Astana _was repaired with pieces taken from Hydra's new units_. Unit's only _Inessa_ had access to! What's worse? _She used it!_ On all 4,000! Created a lake of radioactive sludge in the Valley trying to put another _monster_ into a body- probably that damn bitch Nadya! The weapon Noelle was transporting- everything was there! She used her own lieutenant to cut chunks out of JARVIS' database- wiped out the alarms meant to alert us to her abilities, and there were plans for more attacks!"

Sam slammed his hand on the control console, making his camera shake slightly, "We aren't gullible! We combed through _everything_ to find some explanation, some answer- there was a scrapbook of every major attack by unknown groups going back _years_. Nearly every unsolved Avengers case- some not even known to the public! _Inessa is a monster, human or otherwise_. Whatever she has planned next, it'll be ugly, it'll be brutal, and a lot of innocent people _will die_!"

"If she had Amadeus erase all those records, wouldn't _he_ have raised the alarm sooner? I talked to the boy, he didn't turn on Inessa until what I'm betting is the whole Noelle thing."

"You don't know?" Disbelief (with just a hint of amusement) washed over Sam's face. He leaned closer to the monitor to read Bucky's expression, "You seriously don't know?"

"Explain it to me like I'm five."

"Why did you go looking for Inessa in the first place- after you got out of Hydra?" Sam crossed his arms, he was enjoying this.

Bucky thought back to the confusion and chaos that had been his thought process back then, "I don't know, instinct? Some echo when the programming broke? I spent two years trying to get her out every sane moment I had, it was bound to make an impression."

Sam shook his head, "Wrong. Was she even the only one you did things like that to?"

"No," he admitted it freely, "not by a long shot. But it _was_ the only case where it lasted unnecessarily long _and_ where I didn't kill the person afterwards. That's why I went after her."

"Wrong again," Sam actually laughed, "She never admitted it to you?"

"If I have to ask I'll-" the monitor went black, "what the hell?" Bucky looked around and saw Inessa's finger on a button. Her face was dark, but resigned.

"I said I'd let you leave when we got to the colony," she spoke softly, "I asked you to let Eoin kill me, if he can, so that when it's all over and out in the open no one feels guilty…"

"What was he trying to tell me? This time, you answer."

"This time, I answer," Inessa nodded, " _only_ this time. You want to know why you came looking for me?" He nodded, "Because I _told_ you to. I was trapped in the Valley, fused to Nadya- more beast than person. I was pure instinct, and my only instinct was to find a way to kill the cub- my body. To free myself once and for all. You tried to be nice to me, and I could see you were just as hollow as I was. So every time you went on a mission- every time you passed through the shadows- I whispered in your ear. I told you to find me, and I attached part of my mind to yours so that I would always be able to find you."

"When you were reprogrammed you'd forget, but once all that stopped- the constant push began to drive you insane. That wasn't my intention, but it was getting the job done. You didn't have to blow up Hydra Facility Wonju. There was no real reason for you to do it- that was me _directing_ you. My body was there, but I couldn't reach it because of the lights in those cryo tubes. So I _inspired_ you to do it. _That's_ what Sam was talking about. He thinks I did that to Amadeus as well."

Bucky felt a _little_ violated, but he sort of understood, "Did you do that _mind control_ thing to me any other time? Or to anyone else?"

"Anyone else? Yeah. I've used it to make spies and traitors out of my enemies. To you? No. Once you began recovering your memories I lost my grip on your mind, it was hard enough opening the doors to climb out, forget whispering in your mind."

He nodded to himself more than anything, "Thank you for being honest. For once."

"Are you going to try to kill me now? You know what Sam knows."

"No," Bucky crossed his arms, "I'm not going to kill you. I'm also not jumping ship at the colony _or_ letting Eoin O'Meara kill you." Now it was _her_ turn to look surprised, "I've known you for a long time," he reminded her, "I know how smart you are, you're a genius- best strategic mind I think I've ever seen. When you think you need to be, you're cold as ice and you don't think twice about murder… But you aren't sentimental about it. You wouldn't leave incriminating documents lying around and you _really_ aren't the scrapbooking type."

Her mouth actually fell open, "You believe me?"

"All you had to do was say 'Red Skull' and I would have believed anything you told me."

"So why call Sam?"

"To get answers!" he threw his arms up, "You can't play this all so close to the chest! What harm would it do to just _tell_ me?!"

Inessa took a big breath and held it for a moment, then smiled apologetically, "I… can't tell you that?" _Both_ of them burst out laughing at that.

"When _will_ you tell me though? When it's too late to save you?"

"Oh no," Inessa stepped away from the controls and put her hands in the air, "you'll know long before that."

"When?"

She winked at him and it was nice to see a twinkle in her eyes for once, "When you realize that I explained it all a long time ago."

* * *

"You know what this place reminds me of? Detroit." Bucky peered at the mile-high factories that filled the asteroid and belched out enough smoke to fill the artificial atmosphere with a rust-scented smoke. Everything was red and brown- the colors of the metal alloy the locals mined.

"Feels like home," Inessa winked and pulled her hood further down over her face.

"Sometimes I forget you grew up in the slums," crowds jostled them as they made their way through the city. Bucky kept both of his hands on the hilts of his blades. Inessa scrapped a hood from some clothing she'd found in one of the bed chambers on their ship. It was a bit of a fashion statement- just a hood sitting on top of her tank top, but the arm guards and scythes made it clear she wasn't the type any fashionista wanna-be should go after.

Peddlers jumped out from alley ways and spoke in strange tongues as they tried to sell food or drink to the masses. Poverty in the area seemed too extreme for anything resembling weapons or trinkets- or at least no one was selling. Inessa pulled a protein pack from their ship's kitchen out and held it up for a peddler to see. He eagerly ran over and spoke in an unintelligible, guttural language neither understood.

"Asgardian?" Inessa only knew one non-Earth language. Peter had promised once to teach her the common language of the planets outside of the Realms, but they'd never gotten around to it. She didn't think she'd be needing it so soon.

"Asgardian OK. Not good, but is ok," the man eagerly switched (though his pronunciation was _abysmal_ ). "You want trade for what?"

"Information," the man looked confused, "I ask, you tell?"

"Ah! OK, ok, ok! Anything for… one quarter!" he pointed to the bar.

"Whole thing, for you," Inessa didn't want to mention that they had a few _hundred_ of those bars back on the ship, "information is important. Very important," even though it killed part of her _soul_ to speak such broken Asgardian, she knew it was helping the man understand her more.

His eyes grew wide, "That feed family for month!"

"Question could be dangerous."

Immediately the man sobered up and motioned for her to come with him into the alley and out of the throng of people. Bucky followed a few steps behind, ready for a fight the second one began, "What you want know?"

Inessa held the bar up and watched the man's eyes follow it as she moved. He was hooked, "What Child of Thanos rules here?"

"Child of Thanos?" the man was surprised, "No Child of Thanos. Colony not claimed. Lawless lands."

"Who is in charge then?"

"In charge is Severrin. Colony Hall is straight three, left, straight two, right."

"Thank you," Inessa handed him the bar. It vanished into his robes instantly and he winked to her, "Good luck, kind lady."

Bucky put a hand on Inessa's shoulder as she walked past and swung around so they walked side-by-side. It was easier to speak quietly, lest anyone actually understand their language, and no matter what planet you were on it seemed that the eyes of a crowd avoided whispering couples, "What's up?"

"This isn't Red's place. It's some kind of neutral territory. He called it the Lawless Lands."

"That sounds promising," Bucky glanced around them. A man with purple skin was on a path that would cause him to brush against Inessa as he passed- no doubt he thought he could swipe her scythe, "11 O'clock." She turned her head to face the man directly and let her brown eyes flash silver. Just the faintest trace of the Shadow's mutated skull danced across her skin before it vanished- enough to inspire the man to turn away.

"We're going straight three more blocks, hang a left, two blocks, hang a right. There's some kind of Colony Town Hall."

"Our contact there?"

"Serverrin," she made a face, "with a name like that I'm betting he's Red's representative on the ground."

"So then- we are going to willfully walk into a trap?"

"You bet your ass."

It felt good to laugh with Inessa as they walked the dark streets towards what was undoubtedly an ambush. Hell, it felt good to laugh with any friend. He needed his time away or else the Winter Soldier would have been all that was left- until someone finally put him down. Still, for a man who'd already lived over a hundred years (counting the time he'd spent in cryo), five years was certainly too long to shut himself away.

"Can I ask you something?" Inessa steered them across the street and down the lane that opened to their left.

He smirked, "Now _that's_ something new."

She pinched his ribs in response and he laughed again, "Why did you forgive me? You were pretty dead-set on going off with Sam."

"No I wasn't. I just acted like I was to piss you off. And it worked. I'm tired of getting information piece by piece- usually right as it's about to blow up in my face. All you had to do was tell me it was _him_. I would have come. I know what he's capable of- I'm probably the last person left who knows."

"Steve and Natasha are alive," Inessa refused to give that up, "the only thing we have working in our favor is Red's ego. I was in the Tower in the moment leading up to the explosion- before Nadya got me out. They were already gone. No bodies, no blood, no sign of a struggle. Vision showed you Thor's hammer, right? Whatever happened, they didn't have time to fight it. Red S-" she looked around to make sure none were listening, " _Red_ wouldn't kill them without someone there to appreciate it. I think that's what we are."

"He stripped you of your allies so you'd _have_ to come to me," Bucky nodded and they turned down their last street- this one had less than half the traffic of the other two, "you know the significance of that, right?"

"You're the only other one to see his face- the Schmidt face?"

"Nope. I'm the only Super Soldier left that _he_ created. Sin- the one who went after Tony when Morris attacked- she and I were the only ones _not_ made by Erskine or with his help. I'm the successful experiment. I don't think that's a coincidence."

"I've found that when he's part of the equation there _is_ no such thing as a coincidence… I wish I figured that out sooner."

"You figured out Loki was Odin _and_ the Shadow King, you figured out Red Skull was the Warlord of Thanos, _and_ you figured out Marie Richards was a traitor. All in all I'd say that's a pretty good track record."

"The traitor is still in play," Inessa hung her head, "there's still a lot that can go wrong."

Bucky still had his arm around her as they walked, and he rubbed her shoulder with the metal hand, "There's a lot more than can go right." The Colony Hall appeared before them in the distance, a great structure of shining white marble- even in the dark rust of the city around it. No one walked within a hundred yards of the stairs, as if it were cursed ground. Black-clad guards stood at the tops of the steps and watched the passers by intently. At least one had noticed Bucky and Inessa approaching, as far off as they were, and fixed his gaze on them, "One last question?"

"You know how I feel about those," Inessa warned.

"You got me to look for you with that shadow-whisper thing. If there _were_ another person with even a fraction of your powers, is it possible they used them on Sam?"

"No," her answer was immediate and certain. "Sam was my friend. To make him go against that and _hunt_ me? A change in personality like that _is_ possible with the right whispers, yes, but it would _break_ the person. He'd be completely out of his mind- basically anything the shadows didn't tell him he wouldn't be able to do. He'd have all the cognitive function or lack thereof of an old druggie just before they O.D. With you, all I wanted was for you to find my body, and I preyed on your instinct to protect an innocent life to do that. All I did was _remind_ you, and look how that turned out? Eight months without reprogramming and you were just about insane over all of it. If something got to Sam it would have to have started years ago, and we'd have seen the warning signs."

Something clicked into place, " _Last_ last question, totally unrelated, just me being a bit of a nerd, I don't even care if everyone in this colony overhears me asking," he raised his voice slightly as if to demonstrate just that.

Inessa was suspicious, but she shrugged, "Fine, ask."

"Asgardian is a phonetic language, right?"

"Yeah?"

"I just- if I'd stayed I would have had Thor teach me a bit. I like languages. Is it hard to learn? What's the alphabet like?"

They broke free from the people at last and entered the Dead Zone in front of the Colony Hall. No guards made a move to stop them, but more were watching them now. They continued through to the steps, "Is this really the time?"

"Do you want to psych yourself out before what's probably going to be a fight?"

"Fine," he released her shoulder and they walked side by side normally, "the writing can be tricky, because it's not just about the symbol, it's about how it moves. It's like the tones in Chinese on a written-level. It makes you a bit sea-sick until you get used to it. Even then it's tough… There aren't too many characters though, the rotation determines how hard their sound is."

"So," he eyed a guard as they passed, but the man(like guy) made no move towards his weapon. They were vigilant, but the doors appeared to be open for any brave (or perhaps stupid) enough to enter, "How many letters? Is it like Hawaiian?"

"More like… Korean I guess?" Inessa shrugged, "Redundant letters are done away with. 'D' and 'T', 'R' and 'L', 'G' and 'K', 'I' and 'E'- for the most part they make the same sounds, so in Asgardian they become the same letter, just with different tones on the sounds."

"Teach me sometime?"

"If we survive long enough," she held up her hand as they passed through the doors. The interior was pristine- Inessa almost felt guilty for tracking in the grime of the streets. Guards still watched from fairly regular intervals, but these _did_ have their hands at the weapons on their hips. Inessa just hoped they weren't guns. That wouldn't work in her favor.

"We are here to speak with Severrin!" There was no sign of a reception counter- it was just a big, white room- so Bucky shouted for all to hear, "We are only here for information! Give us what we ask for, and we will leave in peace!"

"And if we do not? What then, James Barnes?" a tall, slight man appeared behind a guard. Inessa couldn't even tell where he came from, "You and Lady Ryker slaughter us the same way you did Earth's Avengers, or my friend the Collector?"

"Men like you don't have friends," Inessa stepped forward, "and the Collector was even _less_ the type. You sent a shipment to the Collector- metal for enough broadcasting beacons to coat a world of the Realms. All I want is the location of the Child of Thanos who paid the bill."

"Nadya Ryker, do you not know? I do not take orders here from any Children of the Mad God. These are the Lawless Lands- the free sectors."

"You think I'm impressed because you know who we are?" Inessa unhooked her scythes and held them at her sides, "The Child I am looking for is a fan of ruling from the darkness. He believes the _illusion_ of freedom is the great unifier. The fact that you think you are free from Thanos' reach just proves this land belongs to him. Tell me where his fortress is and you'll survive another day."

The guards all took one step forward and un-holstered their weapons. She wouldn't know until the fight started, but at least they didn't _look_ like guns, "I have ten times the number you have right now. Did you notice once you arrived? This entire colony is protected by the same beacons the Collector created. We decided that so long as we are supplying the mineral, why not order the protection for ourselves? You have no power here, Shadow. You cannot hope to survive an open fight."

"Everyone remembers the claws and the teeth," Inessa rolled her eyes, "but no one remembers the most important part," she held up the scythes, "I was trained by Natalia Romanova, Steven Rogers, Thor Odinson, Clinton Barton, and the Warriors Three. The best fighters in the Realms. Do you really think I don't know how to use these?"

"I cannot be intimidated by a _child_. My master is capable of much more than you could even _dream_ of! You will never get the location of his fortress from me."

"So, he told you about us? Our names, what we could do?"

"Of course, he is all-knowing, all-powerful!"

Inessa tapped a scythe to her chin and pretended to ponder his words, "Red Skull wants us to find him. I know that for a fact. I think he left a little something out when he mentioned us. Wanna know what that is?"

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK HIS NAME?!"

"No, that's not it. See, my companion, Mr. Barnes, he worked for your master's group for a few decades- unwillingly, mind you- and he made a myth of himself- the most prolific and accomplished assassin in recent history."

"And you think that will help you defeat twenty of my men?"

Inessa nodded, "Absolutely, but that's not the point."

"Fine then, what is the point?" He spat in her direction.

"The point is-" Inessa looked around and shrugged, "-where is he?"

"Wha-" Severrin was so focused on Inessa that he hadn't noticed Bucky was no longer beside her. It was a perfect white marble room- they were dressed in _black,_ trailing _mud_ , how the hell had the man managed to vanish?

An ice-cold blade was at Severrin's throat before he even knew anyone was behind him. Even the guards jumped back in surprise when Bucky spoke, "If it makes you feel any better, I'm 80 years older than she is."

"Just tell us the coordinates for his fortress and you can all go home to your families tonight," Inessa eyeballed the guards to her left and right.

Severrin's laughter actually sounded _genuine_ , "That won't work on us! In our final test of loyalty we strike down our own kin for our master!"

"OK, well Plan B then! Bucky, keep them off of me, and I'll kill them so you don't have to."

"Thanks, but no thanks," he called back, pressing the blade slightly harder against Severrin's throat, "I think I'm ready to try being a hero again! Consider this my audition."

"For what?" She grinned.

"The Shadow Unit!" he leveled a boot to Severrin's back and slammed him forward with enough force that the man passed _through_ the blade. When he fell, it was in two pieces, "Leave the youngest?"

"It's like you read my mind!" Inessa spun and dropped as the guards flew into action. She threw a scythe at the neck of one man and waved her blade around her- slashing through the kneecaps of any guard unlucky to be in range as she chased after the thrown weapon.

Bucky had a bit of a warm-up at the Collector's station, but this time he let himself off the leash. Hydra made sure no hired gun, bodyguard, special agent, or even strike team could beat their Asset in a fight- and for once he was thankful for it. He decapitated the guard Severrin had been standing by, then shoved the torso of his corpse into another. Blood covered the man's face and in his rush to shove the body away and clear his vision he lost what little time he might have had to block Bucky's attack. Within seconds, six of the guards were already down.

Inessa moved like a dancer- as did anyone trained by the Black Widow. She spun around the guards and sliced deep gashes through their spines. One guard managed to slam his weapon- basically a sharp club- into her sternum as she blocked a hit by another. Inessa fell to a knee as her vision sparked and she struggled to catch her breath, but she knew where the guards still were. Before she could breathe she swept a leg beneath the guard who'd hit her and embedded her scythe in his neck. Then she saw his face, "Dammit! Bucky- second youngest!"

"Klutz!" he called back as he hacked his way towards her position. Two guards were using their clubs to deflect his blows- which didn't end well for the guard on his left who got not only the full force of his metal arm, but who also learned a very valuable (if not long-lasting) lesson about Asgardian blades and what all they could cut through. He tossed the blade to his right hand and cut the club in half, then removed the hand of the man holding it.

Rather than kill him, he grabbed the back of his head and brought his knee to the man's face with enough force to stun him, but not to kill him. He stepped on the man's chest for a moment to gain leverage on another guard.

Finally, there were more bodies on the ground than in the fight, and these were the slower guards- either that or the outside ones were finally coming _inside_. It didn't matter- an entire horde of them hadn't done much more than break Inessa's stride, a few more were nothing special. Less than three minutes after it began, the white room was awash with blood.

Inessa sheathed her scythes and stumbled to her knees. For half a heartbeat Bucky worried she'd been seriously injured- it was impossible to tell through the blood that drenched them both. She panted and popped her neck, then her elbows, "Best workout I've had in months." It wasn't weakness that drove her to the ground, it was exhaustion.

The effects of his own adrenaline rush began to wear off and Bucky likewise began to feel the toll of the fight- though certainly not as strongly as she would. He looked around for the guard he'd stunned and found the man reaching for an abandoned club. Bucky walked over and stepped on the end of it, "Are we going to have a _nice_ talk, or a not-so-nice one?"

"I got this," Inessa got up and walked past Bucky to where Severrin's torso was sprawled. She flipped the body over and rooted around in the black robes until she found a small, metallic disk, "what do you think- remote control?"

"Worth a shot."

She pressed it and almost immediately Nadya sprang out of the shadows with a violent roar that frankly made Bucky want to run screaming- not that he would admit to that, "It's OK," Inessa held a hand out to the wolf. Nadya sniffed her, verifying her mistress was not the source of the blood, "next time you'll get to fight with me. He did well enough. Guard the room if you want, ok?"

Inessa walked away from the wolf and came to kneel by Bucky's legs, across from the man. She reached out and took his head in her hands. Shadows poured from her arms and engulfed the man's head. Inessa's eyes flashed silver and the stream solidified. His eyes turned black and began to give off wisps of black mist. It was identical to how the Avengers had each looked as the Shadow first possessed them to read their intent and decide if it was safe to once again be Nadya Ryker.

She found the image of his base first and foremost in the man's mind. The others were already hardened by the killing of their families- this one was young enough that he hadn't learned to shut out the pain just yet. Inessa followed that to the location where it happened, and in the memory were the coordinates that appeared on the navigation system of the slaving ship that brought the boy to the Red Skull.

"Got it," Bucky snapped the boy's neck as soon as Inessa's hands were down and the connection was broken. "You alright?" She let him help her up as Nadya paced the room.

"Yeah," he was worried about the fallout if he ever killed again, but this time was different than what he remembered, "the bloodlust isn't there anymore…"

"Good," she put a hand on his shoulder, "very good."

"Did we just get Red Skull's base?"

"Yeah," Inessa let out a nervous laugh, "I think we just did."

"Ready to end this?"

"More than." Inessa nodded to Nadya, "It's alright, go back to the Valley and wait there. Next time I'll bring you out, I promise."

"Why not use the Valley to get back to the ship?" Bucky thought his suggestion was helpful, but Inessa's face told him he was _very_ wrong.

"I doubt just one man has the control for those beacons," Inessa held up the silver remote, "if we try to take a short cut, we could end up sealed in there _forever_. Do you want that? Because I really don't want to starve to death in a barren wasteland."

"Ok, ok, bad idea, sorry," she was a little touchy, but he understood why. They were already walking face-first into Red Skull's trap, making it _that_ easy on him would be basically so dumb that he _deserved_ to win, "let's get to the ship, then you and Nadya can train against me until we get to Red Skull's camp."

Inessa wasn't worried about running out into the streets covered in blood- places like this were the same no matter what part of the galaxy you were in. Everyone minded their own business, but they did open up a path for Bucky and Inessa- and pickpockets now kept a _very_ safe distance. They walked quickly- the outside guards _had_ joined the fray inside, but sooner or later someone would find the slaughter, "What do you mean train against you?"

"Amadeus told me there could be another Shadow," Bucky put his arm around Inessa again so they could speak quietly as they moved through the people. He didn't miss the jolt that ran through her as the anti-shadow beacons resumed their transmission. Inessa pulled out the remote and hit the button a few times, but evidently the other device was stronger. She tossed it on the ground and looked to Bucky purposefully, "I know, you told me so." The beacons reactivating meant someone had found the massacre, but it also meant that Red Skull's new Shadow, if they really were watching, couldn't see them anymore, "Now, you have the advantage- you've had _years_ to hone your abilities, and I doubt the new Shadow's created a Nadya of their own yet, but you need to be ready."

"Amadeus shouldn't have told you that," she was immediately defensive, " _if_ there is another shadow- _if_ \- then we can't assume their powers are any less than mine. Doing that means we die."

"I know a thing or two about underestimating your abilities, but I also know that when you're new it takes a while to get the hang of it. You _will_ have the upper hand." He was fishing, but his hunch from before was beginning to take form- and it explained a hell of a lot.

"Don't even _begin_ to think that. If there's a second shadow we have to approach it as if it's been around as long as I have. You know how dangerous it is to underestimate your enemy."

"Fine," Bucky conceded the point, "I get it. We'll train as if you _aren't_ the original."

"Thank you." The ship was in sight by the time sirens began to blare from somewhere high in the smog layer. At that people got out of their way even faster, and filled in behind them with increased density. Inessa grinned- apparently the people were more helpful than she thought. If any guards managed to catch up then the sea of people would stop them dead in their tracks.

"I'll get us on course!" Inessa ran across the docks and up the ramp of the ship with a nod to the civilian guards who manned the area. She'd tossed them protein packs as payment when they landed, and that meant they were more than happy to look the other way as the ship prepared for takeoff. If Red Skull wanted to eventually inspire an uprising he was doing the right thing in starving his own people- they could be bought way too easily. No one put up with stuff like that for long… But Inessa intended to be the one to kill the Warlord, not some miner from the slums of an asteroid colony.

The ship lifted off and shot into space towards no particular location. Only when the colony was a speck on the close-range radar did she key in the code for Red Skull's fortress, "Is it done?" Bucky saw the ship adjust course in the movement of the stars out the window.

"Yes," Inessa looked at the radar, "we're three days away. Out of the frying pan, into the fire."

"I know he meant for us to get that intel, but that was too easy. He's insulting us."

"Something tells me he knows we're aware of his involvement," Inessa learned the hard way that he was always watching, always ready to turn fate against her. She had to live assuming he knew everything, "You go take your shower first, ok? It'll take longer to get the blood out of your arm." The end of their journey was in sight. In three days she'd know if her friends were alive or dead… Inessa was fairly certain that knowledge would cost her her life, maybe the lives of Bucky, Sam, Amadeus, and all of the Avengers… She wanted to be alone, before the anxiety and fear became too much to mask.

Bucky picked up on her tone, "Alright, I remember where the shower was… It's going to be ok. I have faith in you. Even Marie can't stop us now."

"Traitors are capable of a lot, there could be pieces in play we know nothing about. Don't-"

"Don't assume. Yeah, I think I'm finally getting the hang of that." He grabbed the wire brush from their bag and headed to the bathroom. Showering was on the lower end of his priority list though.

He'd finally found the trick to questioning Inessa- rambling conversation. When she described what Sam would be like if he was under the influence of a Shadow struck a memory. He moved from topic to topic with her, but the points he gathered painted a picture that was more than enough to explain Inessa's fear- but he didn't quite have it in focus yet.

Nadya was always Inessa's guardian. He knew that much about her past. The wolf came to her rescue whenever something bad happened like it feared for her life. Thanks to the weapon Tony created Bucky now knew that Nadya was no separate entity- she was _part_ of Inessa, a piece of the girl's very _soul_ -

So what happened to make the infant Inessa create a guardian angel? What terrible thing was bad enough to scare a small child and activate abilities that even her own uncle didn't see until she was a toddler?

Inessa almost went out of her way to tell him to stop assuming Red Skull had a _new_ Shadow. She told him to approach the problem as if _his_ Shadow had been around as long as she had. So what if he didn't _create_ the Shadow? Inessa only ever said he _tried_. What if he _found_ another Shadow already formed and gave it a boost?

A boost- like maybe having Loki catch Inessa, the more powerful of the two Shadows (he assumed because he never heard of the other) and use Blood Magic to sap Inessa's own strength and feed the weaker creature.

It made sense in the horrible, twisted way that Red Skull's actions during World War 2 had made sense. It reeked of his old pattern- take an old success (Erskine's serum) and bastardize it to create something newer and rougher.

The name in Asgardian on the paper _was_ Marie- unless it wasn't. Hard 'M', an 'ah' sound, ending in 'rhee'. Marie. Except he'd _assumed_ when Calder read the words Marie was already the answer he was looking for. And Calder had never said the first letter.

That's why he'd prompted Inessa until she explained a bit more about Asgardian alphabets. It was phonetic- meaning the number of characters in a name should match the number of symbols. It was how phonetic alphabets worked. Mm-ah-rhee should have just been two characters. Ma-rie.

 _"Redundant letters are done away with. 'D' and 'T', 'R' and 'L', 'G' and 'K', 'I' and 'E'- for the most part they make the same sounds, so in Asgardian they become the same letter…"_

Three syllables… So what if by "Hard 'm'," Calder had meant something different- like just say the letter 'M'? What if the 'R' in 'rhee' was, in English, an 'L'?

Some part of Bucky figured it out just before the rest of him caught up. His legs gave out and he fell to the floor of the bathroom, but he was shaking too hard to pull himself back up. He understood, finally, what had Inessa so scared, so secretive. He knew what Red Skull had up his sleeve.

Why would Dimitri Aristov save his niece from Hydra, keep her and her abilities hidden for _years_ while he slowly drunk himself into oblivion, then sell her to them without a second thought and without even knowing _why_ he'd done it? _Maybe because something was whispering in his ear all that time._

Why had Inessa's first _known_ use of her abilities produce, of all things, Nadya- a protector to save her from the darkness and the things that go bump in the night? _Because she wasn't the only Shadow Project Helius created._

When Fandrel wrote his warning to Inessa he didn't choose the less-precise Low-Asgardian because it was harder for others to read should the note be intercepted. He chose it to hide the truth behind the words, because in that language two particular names looked almost identical-

Marie-

 _And Emilie_.


	38. Chapter 31

**Sorry this chapter is so long, there were a lot of little things to put in place last minute, but now you'll know 95% of what Inessa knows!**

 **Chapter 31: Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt (12 Days Before the Explosion)**

Marie was stone-faced as Banner read his findings from Noelle's autopsy and Steve reported on the cache of incriminating evidence in the Astana bunker. The Leader's voted to release the information not only to the Teams, but also to the United Nations. Inessa's face wouldn't exactly be splashed across the front page, but the information wouldn't be classified once the United Nations declared the Shadow an enemy of the human race. Soon enough every grainy picture ever taken of the Shadow, its pack, or even a golden retriever in a dark hallway would be mass-produced around the globe.

Steve activated the Warfare unit to determine what really happened. He told them, and their teams, to pick one of three groups. The first was for those who would side with Inessa and her belief that she was framed. Every eye bar none turned to Amadeus, expecting him to step forward, but he made no move. Neither did Wanda or Vision. The Avengers who believed the Shadow King was the puppet master was the second team to form. Natasha, Wanda, Clint, Tony, Banner, and Thor went to that group. As a rule, the Avengers had to each side with their leader when the Warfare Unit was active, but fractures began to form.

Castor and Maya both went against their leaders to stand with Sam, Marie, and Geoff- those who believed what the evidence showed: Inessa was a traitor to their cause, an enemy to be put down, not protected. Thor and Tony didn't push for their members to return, so Steve was willing to let it go to avoid further conflict within the ranks.

"You have the easiest job," Steve was willing to make an effort to remain impartial. He and his team would keep the peace between the factions, "Sam, prove she's guilty."

"With pleasure," his friend immediately turned and left with his members trailing behind.

"Everyone else, your task is to find a way to detect and break the Shadow King's hold. Frequencies, sound waves, sub-space communications- call in Doctor Strange to work his magic and leave no stone un-turned. If you fail and the United Nations sentences her to execution, I can't stop it. Amadeus-"he singled the boy out, "I've got a job for you that you won't like."

"I'm the best mind behind Tony and Banner," he mumbled, "they need my help." Uncharacteristically the boy was focused on the floor. He wouldn't look up or respond to the comforting hands Tony and Wanda put on his shoulders. His Leader slaughtered his teammate, his _friend_. Nothing in his world was right.

"She needs your help more. Prove she's innocent. I know you need her to be, so I know you'll look harder than _anyone_ on this world or any other. Whatever actions we chose to respond with will depend on who makes the best case. She isn't human, so the United Nations will probably vote to put her down… Give me something to use to fight for her," he begged.

"What's our time-frame?" Clint was determined to prove Sam's team wrong.

"The United Nations will delay the vote for two weeks. They've given us twelve days to make our case before they go into deliberations. That's the deadline."

* * *

"Come, Lady Ryker," Red Skull held a hand to the shadows. He felt the bridge activate and his friend obediently came through.

Speech remained beyond her, but she could walk as a human once again. The disjointed, boney protrusions Noelle had seen were arms once again, the lumps of trailing flesh formed legs. Emilie Ryker had been devastated by Project Helius, reduced to a radioactive, half-melted abomination. Nikolai Ryker hadn't even finished sewing her closed after pulling out her accursed offspring. The finest surgeons in the galaxy brought her through the return to flesh, but still she was imperfect.

Emilie's eyes had been replaced with brilliant green ones taken from a Cree woman- not her original blue, but a more fitting match for her still-silver flesh and long raven hair (taken from the scalp of an Asgardian). The link he had created with the help of that idiot Loki between mother and daughter repaired most internal damage, but what he could save through surgeries he did. Why spend months bringing her back when weeks would suffice?

"You look beautiful," she looked like the Goddess of Death from ancient scriptures, or perhaps Eris, goddess of Chaos, "the next phase of our plan is ready." He waved her over to a golden wall and with a gesture Inessa's cell was reflected on it- an image stolen from the Avengers own security cameras, thanks to the link Emilie provided him, "Are you ready for your suffering to end?"

Red Skull settled a hand on Emilie's shoulder and beamed at his monster with pride, "It is true that when Arnim betrayed me to the SSR I cursed his name for many years before learning what he'd done for my legacy, for _Hydra_. I owe him an unpayable debt. I'm telling you this so you'll appreciate what it means when I say that even if he'd let my empire vanish into oblivion what you have done for me _already_ is enough to redeem the Zola line. For the part you have yet to play, know that so long as I rule any move against you is a challenge to me _personally_. I will rule as Thanos never could, and anything you desire will be yours."

He kissed her cold cheek lightly, "You have your next task. Go, sweet child." Obediently she laid her body back on the stone pedestal and her Shade retreated back into the shadows with distaste, "I know it pains you to play the minion to such an inferior creature," he called to her as she vanished, "just remember that soon you will have the joy of seeing Inessa's face as she realizes you were never her _creation_ , but her _creator_."

* * *

Steve let Amadeus follow him all the way back up to his apartment. He left the door open behind him and went to pull a beer from the fridge (one of Sharon's _not_ enhanced with Thor's Asgardian moonshine). He heard the door click closed and sat at his dining room table, sliding the beer along it so that it came to rest just as Amadeus came in the room. He went to it without speaking and chugged half, "I want a different assignment."

"No."

"Why not?" Amadeus was exasperated. He flopped down in the chair and threw his head back, "Why do I have to prove anything?"

His boss shrugged as the boy took another swig, "Amadeus, ever since you _met_ Inessa you've been in love with her. Maybe not in a _romantic_ way, but you two were always-"he thought for a moment, "-whatever the best friend version of a soulmate is."

"And it's probably why I couldn't stop Noelle's death!"

"No," he countered, "it's why I know that no matter what the other groups find you'll work harder than both teams _combined_ for a reason to believe her. If there's so much as a breath of a hint of a _whisper_ as to who's behind this- if anyone- you'll find it. You'll find it because you _need_ to believe she didn't do this. You're her only chance at a fair trial here. So I don't care if you don't like your assignment. I need Nessie to be innocent, I want to believe her, but I just can't, and it's _killing_ me. Do this for her, or do it for me."

"But I don't know _if_ I believe her!"

"Find a way to, or everything goes to hell."

* * *

"Sam!" Marie had to jog to catch him and the others in the parking garage. He stopped midway through the motorcycles with Castor and Maya in tow. Wherever they were going, Geoff was way ahead of them, "Hey, I've got something to take care of before I leave, is that cool with you?"

"Yeah," Sam was one scary guy when he chose to be, luckily his rage wasn't directed at her, "When you're done head to 8 Vanderbilt Avenue, we'll be in Townhouse 23C. It's an Avengers safe-house."

Marie hesitated, "Wait- we're moving out of the Tower?"

"Inessa doesn't know about this place. If she gets out, she won't be able to find us, we made damn sure of that. It's totally Shadow-proof."

Abandoning the Tower sounded too much like joining some Avengers splinter cell for her liking. Still, she took a deep breath and nodded, "Got it. I'll see you there by nightfall."

* * *

"Mom?"

"Hey baby! It's so good to hear from you," the sound of her mother's voice was enough to bring tears to Marie's eyes, "Joshua! Get the phone! Your daughter's on the line!"

There was a click, some shuffling, and her father's booming voice came through, "Marie Rose Richards?! No way! A bona-fide _Avenger_ calling us?!" The unabashed pride that filled every word broke Marie's stern constitution. She opened her mouth to reply, but only a half-sob came out.

"What's wrong?" Immediately her mother's soft voice overrode her father's, "Marie? Are you alright? Is everything OK?"

"I don't know," she whispered as tears fell openly, "everything is just- I don't know…"

Another soft click sounded and JARVIS' voice came through, "Miss Richards, forgive my intrusion but I am currently set to monitor all calls in and around the Tower. I believe you should know that you parents were granted top-level clearance once you joined the Shadow Unit. You are free to speak openly with them."

So she told them everything. She told them about the Shadow- how kind she had been versus how cruel she was now, the division in the Avengers, and the looming catastrophe. She joined the Avengers to help people, and now it felt like that world was going to crumble around her. Her Leader thought she was a traitor, the Avengers thought _she_ was a monster, and Marie was left not really knowing _what_ to do. Inessa declared herself Marie's enemy and with what happened to Noelle she _had_ to go with Sam for her own protection- she never had time to decide what she believed.

Her parents listened throughout the tirade. Being the parents of an Avenger meant it no longer mattered that they'd lived thus-far in an Avengers-free zone- every last battle the heroes faced was now personal. Especially since their Marie was the one in the crosshairs of the monster. Her father counseled her first, "Do you believe the Shadow is working against the others?"

"Yes."

"Why?" she had no answer for her mother, "Marie-Rose, did I not raise you right?" there was no venom in her mother's voice, "Don't decide someone's nothing or everything just because you want to fit in with the cool kids. No matter who you apply it to, that is still the best advice I can ever give you. Now, is this Shadow a bad person? You need to listen to your instincts. They always told you something was wrong with your brother's head, even before he started playing with ours. Is the Shadow like him?"

"I-"Marie looked around her. She was standing in the living room of Inessa's apartment, amidst the strings and papers the Leader was so obsessed with. The place had been searched a half-dozen times since her arrest- it was even more of a wreck than before, "I don't know?" she walked across the living room to the bedroom, where her photographs were piled high. She picked up one of the most recent group shots, "No," she whispered. The Inessa in the picture looked happy in a way Marie had never seen from her. It was as if the Avengers' energy gave her _life_. Something that pure, that obvious, couldn't be faked, "No," this time she said it louder, "I'm not sure…"

"And why not?"

"Because, even though I hate her and even though she's a b-"she remembered who she was talking to, "- _really bad_ person, I think she loves them… And from the stories I think she's the kind of person who would take her own life before she let someone else get hurt."

"Good girl," her dad whispered, then cleared his throat, "Hey Dinah, we raised one right!" Marie was shocked to hear him say something like _that_. She never knew their feelings on Kyle, what he turned out to be, but his open willingness to joke was more than a bit of a surprise, "Well baby, go do what you gotta do to figure this out."

"It's the _Shadow_ , if she can't figure it out-"

Her mother interrupted, "She's in it up to her ears. You've got fresh eyes. A veteran farmer always thinks he knows best, but sometimes it's the rookie who brings in the fresh crops."

"Do me a favor, Heat Wave," her father rarely used her childhood nickname. If anything it betrayed his own fear, "Don't let anyone see you peeking over the fence to see the other side of this thing, alright? If there's nothing to find, then there's no sense in that Shadow taking you down in her wake, got it?"

"I promise, dad," Marie stepped back out and looked over the timeline on the wall- not that she could read almost any of it. A fresh eye- what assumptions would Inessa have made that she could ignore? An image popped up in Marie's mind of the Wall of Remembrance downstairs, where Noelle's picture was undoubtedly being added. Across from it was a very different kind of memorial- images of every enemy the Avengers had killed. If they ever figured out who she really was, maybe Noelle's picture would be moved there... Then again, maybe there were pictures there that didn't quite belong… "I think I know where to start."

* * *

Sam led Castor and Maya to what was probably the Avengers best kept secret- a mid-town townhouse off of any book, computer system, or database. Legally, cartographically, and digitally it did not exist. It was a hole in the heart of New York City: a perfect safe house.

Once upon a time a hole-in-the-wall shawarma joint sat there where the heroes ate after the First Battle of New York. When it was destroyed by Thanos (along with Avengers Tower and at least three-quarters of the city), Tony had the ruins purchased, then buried the place far off any radar. He threw a dart at a map of the United States and where it struck he buried the paperwork.

The point was for it to act as a safe house for the Avengers should Inessa go dark. Stark loved Loch Nessa, but he was Type-A, and couldn't help but put a contingency in place- one less lethal than his gun. She had no idea it even existed.

Gentrification in the wake of the destruction turned the neighborhood into prime real estate- so the towering pale-gray townhouse was by no means conspicuous amongst the multi-million dollar properties. It hid a secret though that made it far above average.

Deep beneath Avengers Tower, Inessa was locked in a cement room that hid the world's most advanced cell. It was run by a closed system (meaning the frequency humming through the walls was frustratingly correct), and at some point or another was put through its paces by _every_ Avenger, no exemptions. Hulk couldn't smash his way out, Mjolnir had to open a Bifrost portal to get close and _still_ ended up fused to the wall (it took three weeks to cut it loose), Geoff couldn't teleport, Ellie couldn't hijack someone's mind to be let out, Scott Lang couldn't shrink to fit through seams, Amadeus and Tony _together_ couldn't rig an escape with _three_ fully weaponized remote suits, Natasha couldn't sneak out with a personal chameleon device (the second time, at least. After they installed sensors to fill the blind spots), and most importantly Inessa couldn't summon even the shadow of Nadya. The cell was truly impenetrable.

So it wasn't exactly luck that prompted Tony to build the Townhouse with the same specs.

"I'm not happy leaving the Tower," Sam announced as the group stepped out of their car, "but we'll have more privacy here to investigate. We're ripping her life apart as far back as we can go. I want to know every associate, every text or email she ever sent, every alias she's ever used- make Natasha and Clint's background checks look like a google search, got it?"

"Dibs on the Project: Echo videos," Geoff said darkly as he stepped out from behind the car, loaded down with binders, boxes, and supplies.

"Maya and I will take anything pre-Avengers, we've got ways to dig up what Hydra deleted." Castor offered.

"Good. I'll assign myself going through aliases and finding a pattern in the files we found in Astana. Someone text Marie and tell her she's in charge of contacts and associates. Let's get going- we don't have much time."

* * *

However much Geoff hated Inessa for what she did to Noelle, it wasn't enough to shield him from the horrors of the Project: Echo security footage. He thought it would make him feel better. After the third toe Dennisson had his Asset break he turned it off and went to the newly arrived Marie for her file of transcripts.

"Yeah, I'm a wimp, I get it!" he snapped in response to her (purely sympathetic) smile.

"Woah, that's not what-"

"She killed Noelle!" he rounded on her, "I know she wasn't real, I know she was lying about who she was, but she was _mine_! She was _good_! She saved my life and who knows how many others, so she deserved to be saved too!"

Marie immediately pushed out from behind her desk and grabbed Geoff's shoulders, "Don't worry. I'm with you on this, I promise. I only knew her for a few months, but you're right- there are a hundred _good_ reasons why she didn't tell us who she really was. I don't believe her secrets were bad, she saved too many lives for all of that. The Avengers _know_ Noelle is the victim and Inessa's the killer. We just have to make sure they don't fall for her Shadow King bullshit." She released him and patted the folder, "We'll find something, ok? They're already leaning to our side, they just need a push."

She was willing to convince anyone that she was still on Sam's side, but once Marie assumed every enemy the Avengers ever fought were still alive and well it certainly clouded the water. Finally, she had something in common with the Avengers- she was just _leaning_ to Sam's side. She needed that push too.

"Thanks," Geoff took a few steadying breaths, "I just- it's been a rough few weeks."

"Hey, if you actually watched those videos I would think less of you. The fact that you couldn't is what separates us from people like her." Her brother had been a sociopath just like Inessa (maybe) and her old friend Dennisson. To people like them the videos would be nothing short of pornographic (ok, even if Inessa _was_ evil she probably wouldn't feel that way about the footage). Geoff proved his rage by volunteering to watch. Now he proved his humanity by backing down. She patted his shoulder again and he left with an apologetic smile.

Marie found herself thinking back to the first day she spent in the Tower. Inessa, who Marie now knew had several ongoing missions, was ignoring her responsibilities to meet a terrified 18 year old. She was _kind_ , _warm_ , and so perceptive that Marie thought the guard might be a mind reader. Noelle had explained what Inessa's PTSD did to her- how some days she'd be "too much like Amadeus", and others would find her silent, reserved…

Then she went to Niflheim, and as scared as she must have been coming back drenched in the blood of her friends, she still looked for her new teammate, still managed to crack a joke. It was like Inessa was utterly un-phased, so long as she had her friends with her.

Just by that Inessa didn't seem to Marie to be someone who would ever hurt her friends. Truth be told, even when she went after Marie it was like she was protecting _them_ , not herself… It was enough to convince her of Inessa's innocence- until she remembered that Nadya existed. When you took that thing into account it was suddenly easy to see the Leader as a monster.

Whatever Inessa was, that _beast_ was a piece of her. Maybe little Nadya Ryker _was_ innocent before Astana, maybe fusing with the creature changed her little-by-little. It didn't matter. The evidence proved she killed Noelle- DNA _proved_ she was a murderer… Still, the Inessa who greeted the farm-girl in the lobby didn't feel like an act, not like her brother's little kind gestures had. Marie walked over to her window and looked up at the skyscraper in the distance.

 _Stay with Sam_ , her gut told her things were about to get ugly, _keep working, and if she proves you wrong, kill her._

* * *

 **Several Days Later**

Inessa had an imperfect sense of time while she was in the cell. The most control she had was dimming the lights when she was tired, so it was hardly a precise art. Still, based on the food she'd been given and her own keen sense of when darkness fell she felt sure that it was safe to say she'd been in solitary for, roughly, a million years.

Steve shared with her copies of the evidence they'd gotten from Noelle- even Banner's DNA test was in there. He'd matched the killer's saliva to Inessa through mitochondrial DNA to get a match. So, unless her mother had popped up out of the grave it could only be from one source. The files were printed with ink that matched the chemical structure of what was in her printer, the ink in her favorite pen was a molecular match to handwriting on the documents, and JARVIS' deepest system scans revealed a slew of passwords and phrases keyed to her voice that gave her command over more systems than even Tony had access to- she wasn't even surprised when they found the secret laptop (or that it had magically been swapped for a new one with her finger prints all over it).

She'd long since given up trying to escape. Nothing would work anyways. She helped _build_ the prison, anything she thought to try had already been planned for (Tony's face when 18 year-old Inessa had broken three fingers to see if the pain ripped through the room's defenses still made her smile). Besides, if any more moves were made by Red Skull or his plant in the Tower it would only prove her innocence.

Not that he would be so careless after doing such a good job of setting her up.

She just had to be patient and trust that eventually she would get out… Preferably, you know, _before_ the Tower exploded. Her vision only said she'd be there in the aftermath with Bucky. Was she supposed to find him? Would he come on his own? How much time would she have- could she figure out who Red Skull's operative was, what his plan was, how Loki got the frequency emitters, _and_ get past Sam before Heimdall's time frame expired? How-

More important thoughts butted in on the stream of unknowns-when did she give up? When did Inessa stop trying to prevent the destruction of her home and instead resign herself to it? Whenever Muhammad (who was being kept FAR away from the transcripts of Bucky's vision because they needed an Ouroborous like they needed a- well, a blown up Tower) voiced a prophecy she was always the one cautioning against simply _allowing_ it or taking it at face value- now she was a hypocrite. All they knew was that she'd be there with him, Sam would try to kill her, and she'd jump with Bucky in tow. That was it. Just because he _said_ the Avengers were dead didn't mean they were- if she really believed that she wouldn't have been so callous. Maybe only Sam thought they were dead and she knew precisely where they were- she'd hidden them out of spite or something. Maybe-

Maybe.

"Thirty miles southeast of Talat, then seventeen miles south-southwest," someone was always listening on the other side of the door, "send Amadeus. He probably saw his face last time we got close… He might not run."

"Who?" Natasha was the prison guard _du jour_ , evidently.

"Kochevnik."

"Nomad? Why does Amadeus want a nomad?"

"He'll know who I'm talking about, and Steve will approve the mission."

Natasha clicked off her speaker for a while and pondered it, then relayed Inessa's words. Just as she said, Steve immediately approved the mission. That made her weary, "Why would Steve let you call in an operation? The teams are meeting to decide if you should be put down."

"He won't do that," she said calmly, "because I know you and Clint. If there was a chance he'd kill me you and Clint would take me into custody until _you_ were convinced. If anyone believes it's a setup-"

"What did you want the Suits to do? Before we found Noelle you asked JARVIS to send up Steve and Tony- you wanted more bodies dug up, didn't you?"

What could it hurt, telling her? " _Someone_ tried to use 4,000 people to replicate my abilities. I just thought that maybe if they did and they _failed_ , then they'd go looking into why I didn't die as a kid. Or why this body didn't-"she shook her head, "whatever. I should be an irradiated pile of sludge, but I'm not. If I were Hydra, I'd go after the source- my mother and father. Something in their genetics enabled this body to survive. It's the next best thing to having me to experiment on." She kept her suspicions to herself- that Hydra already _had_ Emilie's body. It was worth waiting to see what the Suit might or might not find. She was so sick of being wrong.

"Not bad," Natasha's voice was still cold, "but you're too slow. Tony had that idea already."

"And?" Anxiety gnawed at her.

"Emilie and Anton's bodies _were_ taken," Natasha confirmed, "but records show the cemetery had them cremated years ago. Your mother was buried in a lead box, but the radiation started leaking out and so both bodies were destroyed to protect the local population. Your mom was a mini-Chernobyl."

"I'm not surprised," her flat tone made Natasha think Inessa was referring to her mother's radioactive state. In reality she was just starting to piece together the puzzle. Her mother's body was missing. DNA belonging only to her _or her mother_ was found on Noelle… Well, someone was willing to rip Noelle apart in the most barbaric display of savagery Inessa had ever seen just to frame her. Digging up her mom to plant evidence wasn't anything to even blink over.

Natasha hesitated, "Hang in there kid," she couldn't resist giving her old charge a kind word, "Tony found some odd clicks in the Tower's sensors. It could be regular interference, or it could be a sign of a low-level broadcast. He's working on it… You'll be alright."

"I know I will, I'm worried about _you_."

"Well, knock it off. We know what you know. If you want to figure this out, let us worry about _ourselves_."

* * *

"Amadeus, be a black-ops leader. Amadeus, prove Inessa's innocent. Amadeus, drop everything and go to some hot, humid, tarantula-infested jungle on the off-chance that Inessa actually figured out where the hell the Nomad is. Oh, and Amadeus? Why don't you take a couple from Sam's group with you? That'll make it extra tense!" He traced a wolf's head in the dust and dirt on the floor.

"Oh, well, if you'd rather take a three hour Suit flight back to the Tower I could leave. Would that make you feel better?" Geoff was their glorified transport on this mission, which he was very much _not_ happy about. The deadline to prove Inessa's murder of Noelle was willful, malicious, and part of a larger scheme was looming and they'd found nothing beyond what evidence they'd found in Astana. Damning, yes, but it didn't say what the rest of her plan was.

Marie kicked Geoff's leg into Amadeus' in the cramped shack and abandoned her own doodle of the Avengers logo, "Or you could both quit your bitching. At least _you_ didn't have to hire a couple of smugglers to arrange a snatch-and-sell with their buyers. I _hate_ slavers. I hate talking to them. I hate looking at them. I hate breathing the same air as them."

"Yeah, well, we've set up this cartel before. There's a 20% chance they'd know my face and Geoff's personality would get in the way. We tracked the Nomad by his heroics before. Trust me, if he's in that village, he'll follow whoever those jerks grab out here and we can all blow off some steam before _he_ goes to Steve, I go to my corner where no one will talk to me, and you two go back to wherever Sam has you squirreled away."

"It's a shit plan, just so you know."

"You have a shit face, just so you know."

"Correct me if I'm wrong-"Marie raised her voice over theirs, "but weren't you two friends when I joined this circus?"

Geoff let out a forced laugh, "Yeah, before his _Leader_ killed my girlfriend!"

"I can't control what she does or _does not_ do! She's my boss, not my sim!"

"You're the only person in the world lame enough to play The Sims."

"I LIKE BULDING HOUSES, OK?!"

Marie wished she could drown out their voices as the conversation took a turn that didn't even make sense. They were fighting for the sake of fighting- and frankly it was the only thing she _did_ like about her group splitting out of the Tower. She still wasn't firmly on anyone's side, or else she might be acting just as idiotic as the boys. She investigated Inessa as she was assigned, but all she'd found was that if there were a traitor they would _have_ to be on Inessa's team- and with Noelle's death they'd only ramped up their activity. It had to be someone as close to Inessa as Amadeus- but the boy was definitely no traitor. Also, if you accidentally forgot that he was dead, easy money was on Red Skull as the attacker- and _that_ was as likely as someone farting butterflies, so basically she'd learned nothing.

"Frick, Frack, shut up!" she kicked them again (and smudged Amadeus' wolf head) at the sound of engines drawing near, "You two suck at the _covert_ part of this _covert_ mission, just FYI."

"You know who else sucks?" Geoff looked to Amadeus.

Marie raised her hand and let her skin glow a hot red, "I'm fully charged. Geoff, say ' _your momma_ ' one more time and I swear to god they won't even find _teeth_. Amadeus, same goes for you."

Geoff made a zipper motion across his lips and waved a hand to the door as if to say _after you_. Marie stood and dusted herself off, then peeked through a crack in the wood-paneled door. Cars were approaching from either side of the hut. The slavers were good to their word- they had two girls in tow from the direction of the village, trussed up and gagged. Their buyers were meeting to take custody. Marie had convinced the pick-up crew that she would pay ten million big ones for them to meet that day, and apparently a briefcase full of money was more than enough to get them to make their own excuses to whoever they supplied. The survivors were going to feel pretty stupid once she sent the retrieval signal and that briefcase took off and flew itself back to Avengers Tower.

"You call when you want to attack. As far as I'm concerned, this is your op now," Amadeus was more experienced in all of this than she was, so she deferred to him (so long as he stayed on-point).

"Hate to burst your bubble, _General_ , but this has been my mission from the start." For someone who hated leading it was almost too easy for him to step around Marie and take control of the situation, "We wait for our friend to make his move, but if the hand-off is complete before he gets here then you and I will grab the girls and draw fire while Geoff takes everyone to that military base as per our agreement with the locals. Understood?"

"Understood."

"One thing," Marie braced for something snide from Geoff, "I can only take them _maybe_ one truck at a time, so you'll have to hold for a while. All good?"

"Fine by me," Amadeus waited while the men talked. The girls were being transferred into the other jeep, but he didn't see any sign of Bucky Barnes. Geoff and Marie didn't even know _that_ was who they were here for. If they did, maybe they'd be a bit nervous. If anyone trusted Inessa it would probably be him, and depending on how his life of meditation was going, he could very well take a personal stance _against_ Sam's little splinter-cell. A pissed off Winter Soldier- Amadeus was almost excited.

They waited until the last possible second, but eventually their hand was forced and the Avengers moved in for the kill. They had no way of knowing it, but when the fight started Bucky was still twenty minutes out, slowed by muddy terrain. By the time they finished off the smugglers, got the girls back to the village, and did the usual "We're sorry you ended up being bait" shtick that the Shadow Unit perfected Amadeus was convinced the op was a bust.

Geoff took them back to the ambush site in time to see another jeep peeling away, but they decided there was no use following it. Bucky hadn't come. Inessa was wrong yet again- he wasn't in this village. Or, at least, not anymore. They didn't know he _had_ come, seen the evidence of their victory, and gotten so wrapped up in nostalgia he hadn't seen the rear guard until it was too late. Now, as Amadeus declared him a no-show, he was unconscious in the back of that very jeep, speeding away from any chance he might have had at stopping Red Skull's plan in its tracks.

In just over a month, Amadeus would come to pray Bucky _never_ found out about that.

* * *

The rules were clear- no one entered Inessa's cell without permission from _every_ Avengers leader. Steve himself put that into place for their security and hers- but he was tempted when he visited her. Once again she looked drained, and she was slumped with the side of her head braced on the cement walls. Her eyes were still open, but she looked like she was trying not to throw up.

"Are you- what's wrong?"

"I feel like shit, nothing new," she tipped up so that now she was leaning on the wall _behind_ her, "your shields don't work anymore. Whatever's using me to re-charge is at it again."

"I'll have Tony look into it."

"I would appreciate that. What did he find out about the frequency blips?"

Steve shook his head, "We couldn't trace it. They died out."

"As soon as you started looking?"

"Tony's still not convinced it wasn't just an error on his equipment. It's like turning up your speakers and trying to hear a message in the electric hum. It was never anything strong enough to worry about. Every other scan came back negative."

"What about Bucky? Did you-"

"He wasn't there."

Her heart dropped. Inessa put a hand to her forehead and racked her mind- no other plans came to her. She was at the end, "I- I can't stop it." The reality was like a bucket of ice water splashing over her. She felt cold to the bone, "I'm sorry Steve… I just- I don't know what else to do."

"If there's something to figure out, we'll figure it out for you. Just stay in here, behave yourself, and we'll see if we can't find some way to convince the United Nations you aren't a threat anymore. Tony's working on something to juice up your implant- maybe that will be enough." He didn't sound anywhere near convincing. It told Inessa more than anything else what he was really thinking.

"Sam found something, didn't he?" Inessa didn't care anymore, "they're going to kill me."

"He had what the rest of us didn't- proof. Your writing, your ink, your files, your DNA, your codes, your device, your safe-house. The rest of them were supposed to find something to counter that. Even Amadeus didn't turn up anything. I have to present the facts to the U.N., but I will also give them your service record and your theories."

She huffed and reached around to feel the implant on her neck, "None of that stopped you all from locking me up. Why would it stop them?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "look, I've got to go." Steve couldn't look at her anymore. Part of him was unbelievably pissed that she'd just give up like this, the other half was angry with himself for letting things go this far. He didn't know which side he was on, and the reality of it was that she probably _would_ pay for the 7,200 people who'd lost their lives in catastrophes likely caused by her. He was distancing himself, but no one else knew what to do, "Goodnight Nessie."

"Night."

* * *

A low rumble woke Inessa. She didn't know what time it was, how long she'd been asleep, or if the sound was reality or just the product of a tired mind. Inessa's head felt too light, but she looked around as best she could and tried to focus. The rumble came again- something mechanical? It sounded like something was breaking, but the cell was supposed to be sound-proof?

A chunk of the wall across from her exploded inward, showering the cell with dust, rocks, and debris. Inessa jumped as Nadya leapt through with her tail wagging. Her friend. Her last friend. Nadya had a small innate ability to open portals. How long had it taken her to claw her way into the cell undetected? Inessa looked into her mind and saw it- day after day spent throwing herself at the frequency emitters until her little scratches added up to a catastrophic failure and a crack to begin digging towards the interior.

No matter what happened, Nadya was always by her side. Inessa crawled over and wrapped her arms around the wolf's neck, "Thank you, friend. Come on, we need to find _something_ \- there has to be a lead I missed." Using the wolf for support, Inessa pulled herself to her feet and carefully followed Nadya through the hole in the wall and out of the cell's containment.

When she felt up to it, Inessa crafted a tunnel through the Valley to her apartment. She was going to collect her research and vanish- Steve and the others found a fake safe-house in Astana. Her real one was far, far away. Nadya's rescue was undoubtedly what opened the door for _whoever_ was leaching off her strength to resume their work. It was a blessing and a curse- not to mention what the Avengers would think when they found that cell empty. She couldn't face them, not anymore. All of this would be impossible to explain to any degree.

Inessa let go of Nadya and began tearing pages down from the walls- anything she thought was still relevant. She hesitated in front of the wall devoted to the traitor in the Tower. Everything pointed to the Shadow directly. Nothing told her who the _real_ enemy of the Avengers wa-

A light flickered as she turned away from the wall and for a moment only half the room was illuminated. Her shadow stretched in front of her to the spot where she'd anchored all of the red strings- everything that pointed to her.

 _Or does it_?

Nadya stepped forward towards her mistress, into the shadow Inessa was casting. Another wave of dizziness hit and she swayed dangerously, falling to one knee.

 _I'm not the whole Shadow…_ _Only half_ … Inessa was fairly certain that she'd seen images of Red Skull, flashes in her vision as she tried to scan the shadows more than ever before… But when she scanned the shadows all she really did was reach for Nadya's mind. But if _Nadya_ was with Red Skull then that would mean that she was _with_ Red Skull and that didn't-

The weaker Inessa got, the stronger Nadya became. She thought it was just a measure of how much she was losing, but what if it was more in line with what Nadya was _gaining_?

As a child it was Nadya who showed her bloodshed and slaughter as the pack drew on Inessa's uncontrolled powers to run in the night. As a child someone turned Dimitri from a well-intentioned, loving uncle to a manic, rampaging drunk who hid her from Hydra only to sell her back later- the whispers of a Shadow? As a prisoner she had a chance to escape- Bucky had her _in the halls_ , but the Nadya who was able to tap into Inessa's power to open portals to kill guards who'd assaulted her didn't come to rescue the fleeing duo. She'd stayed quiet then. Inessa and Bucky were doomed to fail.

When Inessa tried to kill herself, before _and_ after her five years in cryo, the body's screaming would stop her- but that wasn't the case anymore. Inessa assumed her physical form was somehow picking up on her own frustration and rage- unless someone else was trying to get into the empty husk. When she sent the pack through the city in the Second Battle of New York, any time her hold broke on Nadya and her pack they would turn _away_ from Hydra and aim their fury at civilians. Nadya was always there to keep her safe, but also to encourage her bloodlust, even once she'd joined with the Avengers.

And ever since all of this started a second Shadow had been working against her… Maybe it wasn't a second shadow. Maybe just the second _half_ of the Shadow. It still didn't quite make sense- Nadya couldn't be the traitor. She had no reason to side against Inessa with Hydra and the Red Skull-

Unless you added the Hydra component back in. The Rager was channeling something _else_ in the room when it said "The brilliance of Moore." When she looked at Mallory, as the seizures started, she'd seen something _dark and formless_. Maybe something like Nadya, before Inessa had crafted her into the wolf? Ragers, in her limited experience, took the form of shades wrapped around the head of their victims. When Morris used them on Steve and Bucky they'd never caused a hallucination.

So maybe the Rager wasn't the only thing going after her. She was seizing, being attacked by an invisible monster Nadya could damn well kill, and the frequency "pinning" Inessa was a fake. The wolf tried to stop her from examining the battery in Bucky's metal arm that gave her the idea that the Red Skull was working against them, but it didn't try to save her or alert the Avengers when she was potentially _dying_?

"The brilliance of Moore," that was what Mallory's image had said. It invoked a long-dead Hydra commander who seemed to fit _nowhere_ in the grand scheme of things… Unless someone who'd worked with him and probably idolized him had lost their focus for a moment and let that blurb slip out. Who was Moore's friend in Hydra?

Her mother.

Something broke in Inessa as the last pieces clicked into place. She knew why she was losing the battle so far. It wasn't a traitor in her team, her mother, _or_ a second Shadow. It was the traitor in her team- her mother. The second _half_ of the Shadow.

Emilie Ryker and Nadya were one and the same.

* * *

 **The Shadow (Revisited)**

 _Where is Anton? Why isn't he here yet?_ Commander Moore sent him away on a short assignment- but surely he should have finished by now. It felt like weeks had passed. How long did it take to train the new medical team on Hydra's Alaska barge? Do everything the dead team did- just make _sure_ the magnetic lock was engaged _before_ frying the Winter Soldier's brain. Otherwise he tended to lash out. She asked Nikolai over and over again when he would be back, but he kept insisting it was too soon. How long did it take to bring her husband home? Would he even arrive in time to say goodbye?

Helius was supposed to be her biggest contribution to Hydra- something on par with her grandfather's plot to save them by hiding within the ranks of SHIELD itself. Imagine- invisible soldiers, capable of putting down their enemies and vanishing again into the darkness- shadows that killed. All it took was one oversight- the containment chamber had a flaw somewhere that flooded the room with radiation and detonated her precious Helius device.

The lucky ones died in the fireball that erupted, the fortunate were crushed by debris, and the wretched survivors were doomed to die slow, painful deaths as their bodies liquefied and rotted until they drowned in their own fluids.

If you were Emilie, you had the additional agony of feeling your child slip away into nothing. Ever since the explosion she hadn't felt the baby kick, and Nikolai found no heartbeat. Poor Anton- she wanted to see him, to tell him to be strong without them, but apparently her eternity in hell amounted to only a few days in this world. Nikolai's face told her enough- he didn't believe his brother could be retrieved in time. That disobedient cyborg cheated them of their last chance to say goodbye.

Moore, her lifelong friend and mentor, stayed by his scientists as one by one they succumbed until all that remained was Emilie. Through the marrow-deep aching of her body she could feel a stillness creeping in on her. Nikolai held his sister-in-law's hand through bandages and lead-lined gloves as he swore to deliver the baby and bury her with her mother. Then Moore had increased the morphine drip far enough to put the healthiest person on the Grim Reaper's list.

She felt her pulse slow and took her last breath with Nikolai and Moore watching over her. Emilie thought she was floating away into oblivion-

Until she heard the howling wind.

Instead of the darkness she expected she saw a ruinous, barren landscape of gray stone and yellow light with a flashing vortex swirling high above. Was it Hell? Limbo? Purgatory? She heard a thin cry and looked down- her baby! The child was inside a mass of darkness where Emilie's body should have been, looking up at her mother with brilliant, silver eyes. Emilie reached out to her and the black smoke grew thicker. It was then she realized that the darkness surrounding the child was _her_.

Hands appeared within the smoke as Nikolai fulfilled his oath. He pulled the baby from her mother- but when Emilie tried to follow back to her world she couldn't- something pinned her in. For a brief moment she saw Nikolai's stunned face as he beheld a perfectly _alive_ baby. Emilie tried to yell for him to " _TAKE THE CHILD!"_ to Hydra high command- but the portal closed before her entire message got through. Still, he must have heard her, right?

* * *

It was impossible to tell how much time passed by the sky of the place she'd come to call Limbo. Only her daughter's infrequent visits gave her clues as the infant grew. Emilie had nothing- no hope, no form, no purpose, and no future when the baby tipped away back into her world. She never responded when Emilie tried to speak- it was like she couldn't hear her.

Something must have gotten through though- her loneliness, her desperation to return, _something_. After _years_ trapped in Limbo the child summoned her and pulled her through to the world she'd lost. It felt amazing to see _color_ again- even if it was just the dark room of a little girl. She surrounded the child in a show of affection as she reveled in _sight_ and _sound_ \- but her maternal instincts weren't dead.

A doll-house was open in the corner. Stuffed bears, dolls, and fantastical animals covered almost every surface. There were pop-up books, coloring books, and toys- what the hell was going on? Anton wasn't supposed to raise the child like this- they'd agreed their baby would be raised with only the basics, just as they had. Not like this, not like some pampered capitalist.

 _Where is Anton? How could he let this go on?!_

Her daughter's playful laughter woke someone in the home. Emilie heard footsteps coming down the hall. She was ready to give Anton a piece of her mind (if she could figure out how) and maybe put the fear of God back into him when the door opened and _Nikolai_ entered. Emilie directed her aggravation and frustration at him, abandoning all thought of her husband. Her brother-in-law turned white as a sheet. Before she could try to speak he hit the light switch and she was blasted back by a cold, hard wave of power which flung her away from her daughter and back into Limbo.

Whatever Nikolai did, it only encouraged the child to summon her more, or at least visit the empty world when she was bored. Every time Emilie managed a glimpse of Nikolai she would scream into his mind as best she could, _insist_ her daughter would be better off with Hydra. They would raise her as a warrior for their cause and find a way to unleash Emilie, not spoil the child with dolls and toys! She was a _Zola_ for God's sake, practically Hydra property from birth!

Nadya- Nikolai had named the child as Anton preferred- grew in power swiftly and rapidly. She began to shape Emilie, forcing what was left of her mother into the image of a dog to fill her wish for a pet. Emilie was willing to humor the child so long as it freed her from Limbo, but she couldn't help resent the parasite which had taken from her the brunt of the power Helius bestowed.

Nikolai, now Dimitri, turned to drink to drown Emilie's voice out. He put the child in danger as their financial situation turned dire, going so far as to strike little Nadya in a blind, drunken attempt to silence the voices that swirled around her.

It gave Emilie an idea. The strongest steel was forged in the hottest fire, so she decided that until Hydra took possession a crucible was in order. Emilie abandoned Nadya to Dimitri's abuse and in turn the child's power grew. Slivers were often left with her in Limbo, so Emilie formed a small army. Each wolf she crafted in her image and gave a piece of her darkness to. Soon, her control could surpass even Nadya's.

At the onset of puberty the child's powers skyrocketed beyond imagining. Accidental portals, always infrequent in the past, opened nearly nightly as Nadya fought to learn control. Whenever she could, Emilie took her daughter's mind and showed her what the power to kill felt like. She meant to find the spark that would lead the girl to Hydra, or vice versa, but Nadya resisted still. Emilie began directing her attacks on the facility where she was killed- and where the child was born. Nothing got Hydra's attention like slaughter within their own base.

* * *

She hated the bitch. Nadya's growing strength only made her weaker. She'd been trapped in Limbo for too many years, void of any real physical form. Nadya made her an attack dog, and still she refused the path of Hydra's elite- her blood right. She was an embarrassment to the names of Zola and Ryker.

Emilie's whispers drove Dimitri insane, but she didn't stop. If anything the prodding of his mind turned to violent shoves- particularly after the reemergence of Captain America in the Battle of New York. It wasn't just that Red Skull's enemy survived, it was little Nadya's admiration for his team. _Avengers_. Emilie could feel it- her daughter _wanted_ to fight like they did, but her loyalties were aligned with the wrong side!

In Loki's wake, _he_ came. At first he was just a voice, whispering back into her shadows. Emilie spoke as best she could with her imperfect form, conveyed her rage, fear, and shattered hopes for the child. Red Skull offered her more than she thought was possible: A new Project, back in her old laboratory, this one devoted to hollowing out Nadya. Her mind was set on the wrong path, she was a threat to Hydra, especially if the Avengers got hold of her. She would never be trustworthy enough to fight on Hydra's side, and the techniques they perfected to hold the Winter Soldier's allegiance may throw off the balance of her power- something Hydra could not risk. _Emilie_ , however, the heir of Arnim Zola- now _that_ was a soldier Hydra could trust.

The order was given to Pierce and passed on to Hydra's cruelest- young Thomas Dennisson. Emilie didn't even mind when the Winter Soldier was added to the team- the fool who'd robbed her of a final farewell with her husband when she was most in need of his presence. He would be making up for it now. There was only one rule she put to Red Skull- only they could know the true purpose of 'Project: Echo'. If Nadya knew her obedient _dog_ was something more she would no doubt find a way to thwart everything, and no member of Hydra could be trusted with the secret.

Dennisson's ignorance proved fatal for those around him. He allowed favored guards to violate Nadya's body- soon to be _Emilie's_ \- in unacceptable ways. She took great pleasure in teaching them respect. The Winter Soldier was even useful in that area- to her extreme annoyance. Nadya began to see him as her ally, and each little crack in his programming brought _her_ back a bit and pushed their schedule. Luckily, after a failed rescue attempt, Dennisson saw that too and scheduled more programming sessions to combat it.

Finally, after two long years, Nadya was nearly there. Red Skull warned her to be patient, but it was like asking a starving man to sit at a feast without eating. Dennisson was off on some assignment, the Winter Soldier's programming fractured, and he deactivated the safeguards holding back Nadya's power. Emilie knew one of two scenarios would play out: either she'd grab her _friend_ and flee, leaving Hydra down _two_ Assets (not to mention throwing away her best shot at the body), or his kindness would delay them again, and who knew for how long. One was catastrophic to Hydra, the other a _disaster_ for her after being promised so much.

So Emilie made her move. She leapt from the Shadows to try and claim the body even as Nadya threw her now _substantial_ arsenal of power into the wolf. The result was a fracture that lost for both of them what they wanted the most.

Emilie was pulled back by Nadya's power as she stole the body. It remained immobile, but when she screamed out in rage it cried out with her. Without Emilie's power to sustain her fractured reality, Nadya couldn't solidify herself enough to do more than poison the body with silver venom. And so it was that the Winter Soldier re-activated the defenses at Nadya's screams and blew Emilie back into Limbo- this time with an unwanted passenger.

The fusion took its toll on both minds. Emilie was disastrously suppressed, as was the still-dominant Nadya. The pair became trapped, Nadya's body was lost, and Emilie's best weapon- her whisper- was adopted by the child as a new tool for her suicide mission. She barely managed to shield her mind from the parasite.

* * *

Three years later neither was much of anything. Nadya was slowly falling dormant and yet Emilie barely had any control over their actions- and certainly not enough command of Nadya's abilities to open a doorway back. The Avengers Emilie once feared so much reclaimed the body, and as Nadya woke and sought to determine their intentions, Emilie's pack tried to end them.

And then, finally, the fog lifted. Nadya returned to her body and took with her power and instinct once belonging to Emilie. It was like taking the first gasp of air after drowning. If Red Skull tried to contact her again she couldn't know it, but she waited patiently, played the dutiful guardian, and waited. Something snapped in Nadya's mind during her time with Hydra. She was no longer the innocent child. Hydra failed to hollow her out, but Emilie's rage helped her become a killer. Just as it had before- if anything got Red Skull's attention it would be the deaths of his agents.

When the found that first Helius device Emilie knew he'd given up on her. He succeeded where she had failed- perfected her experiment. He had his army of vanishing agents and he would no longer need her. She tried to throw herself harder into the slaughter, even if it did hurt the Hydra she loved. Sebastian Morris' attempt to retrieve the child only made her angrier- another damn failure.

The Avengers were frightened of Emilie's ferocity, but they trusted Nadya's control. Emilie cultivated that, more out of spite than anything else. She protected them, joined them in the jokes, games, and missions. She even helped kill the mad "God" Thanos- it didn't matter anymore what benefitted Hydra, she was done thinking. She only wanted what she'd always wanted- as much time out of Limbo as possible. It didn't matter what she was doing. They'd broken her will.

* * *

 _Emilie, did you think that I forgot about you? Never, my dear friend. Never._ Red Skull's voice came to her in the middle of the night, clearer than ever, _I have always remembered our deal, our failure. I've found a new way, a new plan. Are you ready to escape at last?_

He laid out everything. How he'd command Loki to bring Nadya and Emilie to the Realms, arrange the child's capture while Emilie held her mind, and cast a dark and dangerous spell to link mother and daughter. It would allow Emilie to feed, little by little, off Nadya's life force and use it to repair her _own_ ruined body. All she had to do was ensure the Avengers eyes stayed on Nadya. A prophecy- one Emilie was quite familiar with- would make them believe she was their enemy. So long as they looked the wrong way, Emilie would be able to feed.

However, if at any point the truth of her loyalties were discovered, the penalty was death. No third attempt to seize power, and no further aid would be given to her beyond a swift death rather than a return to Limbo. Red Skull wanted the Avengers, Emilie wanted Nadya's power. It was an easy deal to strike.

And so she began whispering suspicions. Unlike with Dimitri, she did nothing more than build on their own very real fears. They took her words as instinct and one by one began to turn. As Nadya's life fueled Emilie, she took bigger risks- planting evidence to lead Nadya to suspect her own allies of treason, possessing a boy to attack the Realm councilman who feigned loyalty to the false Odin, using her command over Nadya's army to gather 4,000 so Red Skull could continue his Helius experiments, creatively editing her vision of Marie to cement her daughter's mistrust, staging her laboratory in Astana to damn Nadya - every action she took lead them back to her- and since they all thought she was nothing more than Nadya's minion, the deceit was simple. Red Skull showed his commitment to their cause by first reclaiming her human form and then watching patiently as she tore his asset apart.

Now all she had to do was wait for his final move, secure Earth's defenders, and see to it that little Nadya and her grandfather's experiment, that damnable Winter Soldier, walked right into the final trap- all while hiding her hand.

Emilie deactivated the shield the Avengers built around little Nadya with complete disregard for what the strain would do to Nadya. She went to her unsuspecting daughter, the image of a perfect, helpful monster. The Avengers no doubt would call it proof of Nadya's guilt- not that it would matter anymore.

At long last, after months of scheming, years of plotting, and over twenty years in hell it was time to make their move and end 'Project: Echo' once and for all.

Emilie strode from the shadows to the small, frail Nadya who had fallen to the floor of the apartment trying to solve an impossible puzzle. To the girl, her pet radiated hope, peace, and a sincere believe that things were going to get better- because that was what Emilie herself truly felt. Nadya didn't know it yet, but as she sat on the floor, blissfully ignorant of her _pet's_ involvement in her own fall from power, the clocks in Avengers Tower chimed midnight and her time ran out.

It was –finally- the day of the explosion.


	39. Happy Birthday Project Echo!

Holy crap!

I've just been informed that apparently YESTERDAY "Project Echo" turned ONE!

An entire year! Holy crap! How did that even happen?! How has it been a year?!

Anyways-

Thank you **_everyone_** for your interest in this fic! I love reading and re-reading your reviews and seeing your theories and reactions to everything that's happening! I can't be positive, but I'm pretty sure we are within 10 chapters of it being over (Let's say 5-7?), so I hope what is yet to come is as exciting for you all as what's already happened!

Seriously, I don't know the words to say thank you to everyone! A lot of you I know only through your reviews (Alethea13 and AgentofSassArwenFolchart221B) but I know there are a lot more of you than that reading, and that's incredible. I started this as a writing exercise to study character voices but it's ballooned into so much more (and I only expected like 12 readers, not over 40,000!)!

Again, thank you, you're all amazing!

As a "Thanks again!" here is a mini spoiler: The next chapter will include the first and only sexy-times scene for "Project Echo" (don't worry, it isn't anything worthy of NSFW, I suck at writing sex scenes) between Bucky and Inessa- but like that prophecy (and everything else in "Project Echo") it isn't as straightforward as it sounds!

In case I haven't hammered the point home or beaten the dead horse enough- thank you all, you rock, and I love every single review ever posted (hint: I love reviews)

xoxoxox

~Kristen


	40. Chapter 32

Friendly warning that this chapter is a bit racier than others in "Project Echo", but like with Clint and Natasha's shower scene in Part 1 (which is a bit tamer than this), it's nothing too hot and heavy. I'd give it a solid PG-13 warning, it isn't worthy of NSFW.

* * *

 **Chapter 32: Fight the Friction**

 _I wanted to trust you! No matter what, I fought for you! I blamed the Shadow King- never you! You know what? Fine. I give up. Congratulations Loch Nessa, you can say you pulled one over on Iron Man._

She slammed her fist into the wad of blankets she'd tied and trussed as a punching bag.

 _What- how- Ness, why?_

Clint's face as he visited Inessa in the cells still made her heart ache. He could hardly look at her, barely formed coherent sentences, and yet he practically had to be dragged back out.

 _I can no longer assist you, will no longer speak on your behalf, and shall count you among my allies no more… Unless you can offer some explanation, your voice is mute to my ears._

She hit the roll harder and harder- long past the point where her lungs burned and her muscles screamed with each motion. No matter how much Inessa exhausted herself, the voices wouldn't stop.

 _I know what you did to her, probably better than any of them… If it was you…_

Banner had given her a chance, but his eyes never went higher than her feet. His voice- she was willing to bet he'd leave again- vanish into seclusion and maybe this time even Steve wouldn't be able to convince him to come back.

 _Natasha standing in the corner, just glaring. She said more in her silence than she could otherwise._

Inessa was trying to quiet her memories, but they were only getting louder. She had done too much and too little at the same time. She gave too many veiled hints and put too many pieces in motion to control simultaneously- and the one piece, the 'ace up her sleeve' as Bucky called it, was still an unknown…

It made her want to cry, scream, lash out, crawl under a rock, live to spite her enemies, die to spite her friends. Eleven years since Dennisson's team snatched her off the streets in Chicago and now it looked like he and Pierce would finally get their wish- she was breaking.

"Nessie!" Bucky's insistent tone made it abundantly clear he was repeating himself, but she could barely hear him over the rushing sound in her ears, "Stop!" he pulled her back from the abused blankets, "They're already dead."

It felt like someone had a hot, wet towel wrapped around her head. Inessa sunk to the floor with Bucky and focused on catching her breath and not throwing up on him as he held her wrists, "Breathe," his advice was pointless, "just keep breathing."

"That was… a long… shower."

"I had a lot to think about," he began unwrapping the makeshift bindings she'd placed on her hands, "I know I said we needed to train, but if you're so tired you can't lift your arms then how are we supposed to fight anyone?"

"You don't… know anything…" the pressure was beginning to fade.

Bucky held his tongue and lightly rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand in a random pattern. Down, left, right, left, up, down, up-

 _Up and down are dots, right and left are dashes,_ she tried several theories before settling on that one. Bucky never maintained physical contact with her, and holding her hand was too intimate a gesture for him usually. Her heartrate kicked back up a notch. By the time she figured out the message her breathing was almost normal. He was using a simple gesture to hide Morse code.

 _.-..-…-/ -.-/ .-..-…./ ..-_

 _Just go with it._

Inessa met his eyes and held his gaze long enough to make her understanding clear.

"You're right," he looked down again and his thumb stopped. His metal hand lightly traced her forearm, "I don't know much. But I know- I know something…"

"What?" she whispered, mentally cringing. _Please don't say 'How I feel about you'. I_ will _throw up._

"I know… I know you're kind, I know you only keep secrets when you think it'll help, and I know you'd die to save the ones lucky enough to be counted as your friends. I know I missed you all for six years and-" he looked back up at her, "I know, with everything between us, I should be OK with being your ally. So, I guess I really just know that before we walk into Red Skull's trap I have to-"

He was floundering, but Inessa could tell where he was going with it, and that scared her more than the Morse code. _He knows_. She silenced him the only way she could think of- probably the same way he'd been considering when he told her to 'Go with it'.

Bucky forgot what it was he needed to say when Inessa kissed him. Her lips felt surprisingly soft on his, and her closeness was at once alien and impossibly _right_. The first kiss was chaste- simply lip-to-lip, but it ignited something and the second kiss was anything but. His upper lip fit between hers, her lower lip between his, and he was lost. He pulled her softly, giving her every opportunity to break contact, but she moved with him. Inessa rose to her knees so that they could be closer. Hesitantly, he moved his hand to her back, mindful of the caked and crusted blood from their battle.

When Inessa pulled away he heard himself groan. Now both of them were flushed and breathless, "I- I have to go," Inessa jumped up and was out of the room before he knew what went wrong. It was just supposed to be a ploy, a trick. If Emilie Ryker _was_ stalking Inessa from the shadows he thought a moment like that would make her turn away for a bit… He didn't think it would feel like _that_.

But he blew it. He lost control and crossed a line with Inessa that could never be redrawn. Was it even a good plan? Surely there were other ways to get a word in private, did he just _want_ this to be the only way?

 _You asshole_ , he hung his head, _what did you do? What possessed you to think that was anywhere near ok?_

'Mortifying' described it pretty well. Bucky sat alone on the floor in the middle of the room. That the kiss was so amazing only made him feel worse. He wanted to feel that again- the electricity, the fire, the _life_ , but he also wanted to step out of the airlock.

"Hey Red Skull," he mumbled, "kill me now and you're doing me a favor… Please? Buddy? Old Pal?" Bucky waited for his end, then sighed, "Thanks, dick."

* * *

 _He knows_ , he was willing to go that far just to buy them… What? Privacy? Nadya trailed after her as she sped through the halls of the ship until she was well out of Bucky's sight or hearing. _If he wants to speak freely, we're going to have to go further than that_ , she stopped and leaned against the wall with her heart racing. Was it the only way for them to chase away Nadya without raising Emilie's suspicions? Really? Or did she just _want_ it to be the only way?

Inessa had to admit, it certainly felt nice… _You're nowhere near done with this fight,_ she reminded herself, _are you really willing to risk losing your focus?_

 _If we start this, even with the best intentions, how far will we let it go? How far will we have to go before_ she _leaves us alone?_ Inessa rested a hand on Nadya's head and stared into her silver eyes. Every time she forced herself to treat the creature as a friend it made her skin burn and her insides churn. "What do I do?"

Nadya licked at a spot of blood on her wrist and Inessa shook her head, "I mean _after_ showering." _This would be a great time to act like a mother, you evil hag._ She had no one to talk to, only herself… "What do I do?"

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Bucky heard soft footfalls in the hall. Inessa's walk was as easy to read as her voice. His embarrassment and guilt reached new heights- and Red Skull wasn't merciful enough to kill him so he got to deal with it himself, "Listen, before you say anything-" she walked around him and he trailed off mid-sentence.

Inessa was only wearing a sports bra and underwear, and she was soaking wet, "I just- all the blood, I didn't want to-" she blushed, "sorry, I'll just g-go-"

"That was… a fast shower," _are you aware your mouth is talking without permission, moron?_

"I'm tired of thinking."

He caught her hand as she moved to walk back past him, "You're not-?" she shook her head, "You- you really want this too?" she nodded.

Slower even than before they stepped closer. Her arms were folded across her chest, both against the cold and the unusual amount of skin she was showing. Bucky put his hands on her arms, meaning to warm her and lead her closer, but his eye caught on a thick, rough scar next to his thumb.

She'd been fighting him as he moved her from the table to the chains hanging from the ceiling. He put an arm across her right arm and grabbed onto her left shoulder as he wrenched the connecting arm with his metal hand. A piece of Bucky stirred in the Winter Soldier and- either he'd flinched from the memories Hydra punished him for or _Bucky_ knew it would protect her from the more horrific torment's Dennisson had planned, at least for a few days, while she healed-

He would never know either way what made him throw that much force into the twist. Between his arm across her shoulder, and the one just above her elbow, he's snapped the girl's arm in half. Where the bone pierced the flesh it left a permanent, ugly scar. That agony saved her from being skinned… Again. But if she'd had the choice of the two, what would she have wanted?

"Stop," Inessa put one of her hands over the scar and his. Breaking eye contact freed him from the memory and he met her eyes, "Nadya Ryker and the Winter Soldier both died. Leave them in their graves." Since she could see he'd lost the drive she took control and once again pressed her lips to his.

The response was immediate. Their hunger returned and this time she gave herself to it fully- no worries about silly things like B.O. or the ridiculous amount of other "people's" blood that had been drying all over her. The first kisses had left her fraught with self-conscious worry, now she let herself really enjoy them.

Inessa gently pulled Bucky against her as the fire reignited. She wasn't satisfied with just the kiss, she needed to feel _more_. Inessa slipped an arm under Bucky's shirt and felt his warm muscles move as he wrapped his own arms around her, "The bed," she whispered when they surfaced for air.

"Are you sure?" he was as out of breath as she was. In response, she kissed him again. Bucky lifted her and began running his lips along her neck as he made the journey to the stripped bed in the rear of the room.

"You're gonna have to trade places with me," she laughed as he lay down with her on top, straddling his hips. Inessa tried bracing herself on her forearms, but flopped onto Bucky's chest, "I can't support myself just yet." The battle with the blankets had left them feeling like jelly. Her senses told her that Nadya, the ever-watchful guardian, returned to the Valley as their passion got the better of them, but it was a whisper nearly lost in a greater roar.

Bucky held her by the small of her back as he flipped Inessa underneath him and replaced her on the top, "I just thought, in case you wanted to stop-"

"I appreciate that," she kissed him again, "but I have the feeling you wanted to talk _unchaperoned_ , it could take a while and I can't hold that position at the moment." A mischievous glint lit in her eyes at his confusion, "You said 'go with it'. Did I do it right?" she lowered her voice to a whisper, "Just be ready to start again if anyone checks on us." She rested her hand on top of his metal one- which was currently placed on the outside of her upper thigh.

Of course, he'd stared this to speak with her, not to- wherever he thought this was going it clearly _wasn't_. Inessa was just acting, "Um… Yeah," he suddenly felt very awkward with a hand holding the back of her head as he braced himself above the half-naked Inessa. _Think of the parts that aren't naked_ , Bucky glanced at her chest, _never mind. Think of her dressed as a nun!_

"Well?" Inessa had to admit it, she was enjoying this- particularly the not-so-subtle way Bucky was trying to talk down his noticeable excitement. She raised herself just enough to kiss his lips. If he had any doubts about their position, that chased them away.

"Um," the kiss didn't help his mind find its way back on track. What _did_ he need to say? Something about- something… They were in bed together, in a space ship – that had a bed they were in together, on their way to a fight that would probably end with them dead- meaning this was the only time they'd be in bed together, and he'd figured out that the thing standing between them and being _able_ to be in bed together again was- well, frankly it was the one-track mind, but- "Oh yeah, is it- can we talk?"

"For now. You bought us some private time."

"I don't want to kill this though," he answered honestly.

"Kill it dead," she joked to ease the tension, "then bring it back."

"Nessa, _I know_. Your mother is- Emilie's-" _alive_ wasn't the word he was looking for. If he was right, if she was a Shadow then she probably wasn't well enough off to be called _living_ but-

Inessa nodded before he'd even finished. In his silence, she filled in what (she thought) he was thinking, "Nadya. Yeah… I know."

Bucky scrambled up into a sitting position, "Nadya- WHAT?!"

Panicked, she grabbed his shirt and dragged him down on top of her. Inessa locked Bucky into another kiss before she felt Nadya's gaze return. It took a while for her to leave again, but as soon as Inessa slid a hand halfway down the back of Bucky's pants the shadows closed once again. "Keep it down, and _don't call her_!" she hissed, breaking the kiss.

"N- she is-?"

"Wait- what do you think you found out?" Inessa was confused.

Bucky shook his head, "I figured out you-know-who was alive, and Amadeus kind of told me there was a second Shadow."

"What did _I_ tell you. About the note? I'm assuming you found the note?"

He thought about it for a moment, then removed his hand from behind her head to rub at his eyes, "You said it was the name of the traitor… _On your team_."

"Don't feel bad," she whispered, "it took me a long time to figure it out too."

"When did you-"

"The day everything went _boom_."

"Well," Bucky let out a nervous laugh, "that certainly explains why you've been kind of…"

"A bitch?"

"I would never call you that. _Testy_ , I was going to say _testy_."

Inessa laughed, "Well _I'd_ say bitchy," she smiled shyly, "I'm sorry. It's been kind of difficult for a while and I keep forgetting you weren't part of all of that."

"I know what that's like, believe it or not," he chuckled, "though in my case I _was_ guilty. That's why I left," Bucky hesitated, and his smile faded. He realized something then, "If _she_ forced Dimitri to sell you over… Did I kill an innocent man?"

"Hardly."

"But he didn't-"

"It doesn't matter what he was before. What matters is what he became. _She_ killed Nikolai, you killed Dimitri. Besides- need I remind you he was Hydra to begin with?"

"Point taken," Bucky thought through things again, more carefully this time. He had this chance to finally get answers, "Is that the last piece then? The ace-up-your-sleeve, as everyone's calling it?"

She considered his question far longer than he expected, then sighed, "I think so. Their strategy will be based around surprising us with the duplicity. Ours will account for that, which they won't have accounted for, and hopefully we survive five whole minutes longer."

"That sounds a little weak for you," he prompted, "what were you thinking about for so long?"

Inessa rolled her eyes, "OK, so I _might_ have someone on Sam's side. It's a big 'might' though, and frankly we can't assume they'll do us any good if it comes to a real fight. I gave the activation code, but I can't know if they heard me… Or if they'd be willing to risk helping me. Honestly, I'm leaning more towards that card not even being in play."

"What does it buy us if your spy _is_ on our side?"

" _Ten_ minutes to live."

"Oh, well, then we'll just have to hope," the sarcasm in his voice was tempered, light. He truly believed her now, at last, "So, which is it, Raj or Ellie?"

"What?" Inessa laughed.

"Ellie you could tip off psychically, since she'd a mind reader and all. Raj you could tell directly while he was in stealth mode. Besides, neither seemed too concerned with killing you."

"Very observant," Inessa nodded, "you've solved it. I am an open book to you. Bucky Barnes, you genius you." She giggled when he pinched her side, "Ok, I'll cut the sarcasm."

"Just promise you'll tell me if it becomes relevant to the plan?"

"Aha, I have you fooled, there _is_ no plan!" her sarcasm (still running strong), wasn't enough to cover up the truth in her words. She'd spent every waking moment planning out _how_ to find the base- but once they had Red Skull's location she just assumed a plan would sort of work itself out. Now she was learning the hard way that wasn't the case.

Bucky raised his eyebrows, "You're not joking, are you? You really have no plan?!"

"My brain's been a bit one-track on keeping us alive, if you hadn't noticed," Inessa admitted. "It's been difficult to relax enough to scheme, between the mad-dash to Asgard, the stabbing, the mad-dash to Svartalfheim, being stitched up, the mad-dash to the Collector's vault, being drugged out of my mind, the mad-dash to Berny's, being shot, the mad-dash _from_ Berny's, the fight on that colony, and now _this_ mad-dash to Red Skull."

"So if the pattern holds," Bucky reasoned, "someone will stab, shoot, or drug you there too."

"Helpful. That's very helpful."

"Sarcastic. That's very sarcastic," both of them laughed then. Bucky adjusted his position over her to take the weight off of his human arm (his shoulder was beginning to throb) and transfer it to the metal one. It was supposed to just make him more comfortable, but it unintentionally brought him lower and closer to Inessa, "Any way I can help you unwind?" he realized as soon as the words left his mouth how it sounded- and hand-to-god he'd meant it in the most platonic sense.

Before he could backtrack to explain himself, Inessa blushed and smiled shyly, "Maybe." He held his breath, "Why the hell not?"

"Wait- what?"

She looked down at his chest and torso as if assessing his form. "In three days we walk into a trap where we'll probably die. So, why not? We probably won't live to regret it, if it's regrettable. And frankly it could help us in our mission."

"It… what?"

"Well," her eyes sparkled dangerously, "if they _are_ dead, this will bring Steve and Natasha back from the grave… If only to kick your ass."

"I- hey!" Bucky almost sat up, "Hold on, just so we're clear- are you proposing last-night-on-Earth sex?"

"We're in a spaceship, but maybe. You were a soldier, you tell me."

"I've used those lines at least a dozen times in the 107th," he panicked when she raised an eyebrow, "each time unsuccessfully, of course."

"Liar."

"Yep," his mouth felt dry suddenly.

"If you want-" she left the offer on the table.

"If _you_ want," he mumbled. Suddenly Bucky found it difficult to meet her eyes- the problem being he lowered his gaze and was reminded she was only in her underwear. That certainly did not help.

Inessa's voice was almost a whisper, "Didn't I say _kill it and bring it back_?"

Bucky looked into her eyes and saw _hope_ , and a nervous energy he wasn't unfamiliar with. He lowered his mouth to hers, hesitated, and slowly their lips met. This time it wasn't the fiery, desperate kiss of a man possessed (though the sensation it sent through both of them was the same), it was slow, deliciously sweet, and made his heart burn in his chest. He needed more of her, the kiss wasn't enough.

Evidently Inessa felt the same way. Her arms found their way under his shirt and she traced the muscles on his back as they moved. Slowly, Bucky lowered himself even closer to her until he felt her skin brush against his. Then Inessa helped him move the shirt entirely out of their way. His skin was burning hot, hers was deliciously cool, and it felt even more incredible than he imagined when they touched more completely.

Bucky broke the kiss and locked eyes with her as he rose and stepped off the bed. All either of them saw in the other was desire. Inessa spent _years_ being a hero- now she just wanted a few hours to be human. He took a few steps back and went to the roll of blankets Inessa had beaten into submission. He broke the rope holding them in their form and quickly spread them across the floor so that they were not so confined to the small bed. Inessa followed him as soon as she saw what he had in mind and grabbed him by the back of the neck to pulled him against her as soon as his task was complete. They took up precisely where they'd left off- though now as he pressed against her what they did have was no longer enough.

By the time Bucky sank to the floor with Inessa he'd lost his pants, though when that was he had no idea. After Inessa reached back and unhooked her bra everything sort of became a blur. He held her tight and slowly dipped her towards the floor, then rested against her with one knee between hers. They explored one another with their hands, getting used to the feel of their muscles, the warmth of their skin against one another. He was more than content to let her take the lead.

It had been… far longer than he was willing to admit, but the few tricks he'd picked up from his dalliances before and during World War 2 came back to him easily. He knew where to lightly trace her skin and where a bit of pressure would make her gasp. He knew how to adjust the speed to delay her pleasure and make her groan in frustration. At last, he knew how to hold her as they adjusted and folded their bodies to maximize how much of their skin touched.

He pulled back when she slid a hand under the back of his underwear, "Are you _sure_?"

"For the last time, yes."

"Do we have-" he felt his ears redden at the _thought_ of the word 'protection' (something alien to him in the old world), which was absurd because by now they both only had one article of clothing left.

"I've been on the six-month pill since 2017," she laughed softly, "we're good." Bucky took her at her word and resumed their embrace. He let his kisses trail down the side of her neck, her collar bone, between her breasts, and as he slid away and left a line of kisses down her torso, he removed her final garment. Shortly after, his own were removed as well.

* * *

Even though she was as paranoid of failure as ever in this final stage of their plan, Emilie wasn't worried about turning away from the two and leaving them to their passions. They were doomed to fail. Sure, they knew Red Skull waited at the end of their journey, but even her daughter hadn't figured out yet that her faithful _slave_ Nadya was quickly becoming her strongest enemy. Hell, even if she did there was nothing she could do to stop them now.

 _The child is coming_ , she whispered through the shadows to the man in the cell deep beneath Red Skull's fortress, _and she means to end this- to end you all. She betrayed you, betrayed everything you created. The only response can be swift, brutal, and lethal. Destroy her, before she joins with Red Skull and comes into her full potential. It's the only path she's left you- blood and death._ If his suspicions weren't already turned against her from _months_ of in-fighting and turmoil it might have been more difficult to convince him, in just one month, to make the final move against Inessa. But Emilie could see into his mind with perfect clarity- through the madness she and her master's torturers had planted- and his conviction was absolute.

Sam and his army were hardly part of Red Skull's plans for Inessa, more an opportunity seized. By the time he and his people arrived, she would likely already be dead. The explosion of the Tower was a distraction from the abduction occurring within. No, Sam probably wouldn't get to see his enemy before she – and he- died. Inessa's end would come at the hands of the same Avengers who ruined Emilie's _last_ chance at a body. The girl expected a fair fight directly against Red Skull himself, but to get to the mastermind she'd have to carve her way through Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Thor Odinson, and Anthony Stark.

It was time to test just how seriously Inessa took her own words when she said she was willing to die to save them.


	41. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: The Explosion, Part 1**

"C'mon Rogers, hit the ball!" Tom and Richard cheered Steve on from 2nd and 3rd base as he faced Bucky.

"I'm not going easy on you!" his friend warned and slapped the small leather ball into his palm a few times so that the _crack_ echoed around the courtyard of their tenement complex.

"You can do it, baby!" his mother called happily from her perch on the edge of the walkway that wrapped the inside. She sat there with Bucky's mom, the pair darning old socks together as they watched their boys play.

"MOM!" he shouted, upset. Immediately the other boys- on his team _and_ Bucky's- took up the taunt.

"C'mon _BABY_!"

"You can do it, _BABY_!"

"Make momma proud, _BABY_!"

Bucky opened his mouth for some good-natured joshing, but his own mother's voice rang out, "Strike him out, my precious little Bucky-Bear!" she nearly fell off her stool laughing at the horrified look on his face, "Was that too much Sarah?"

"Not at all!" Steve's mother laughed so hard it set off a coughing fit. She stifled it quickly- unware it was just the start of the illness that would eventually claim her life.

"Are we gonna play or what?!" Bucky snapped. None of them _dared_ tease him. His mother knew that, so she used it to Steve's benefit (and her own amusement). He wound up his pitch and threw it to Steve with an impressive display of force- though, as always, it was _just_ a display. He exaggerated his movement and choked up on the release to give his best friend a chance at hitting the ball- that was the whole reason they didn't play on the same team after all.

Steve sung his stick as hard as he could- but the ball never connected. He looked around to see where it went, but suddenly the courtyard was empty of everyone but Bucky. "What is it, Buck?" his friend only pointed, stone-faced, to somewhere just over Steve's shoulder. They were both so young, not even teenagers, but Bucky's left arm was already encased in metal.

He turned to see what was behind him. It was a room- a very dark one. Steve walked towards it, sidestepping around metal beams and dangling wires that appeared in his path. As he crossed the threshold between the dirt yard and the plastic flooring, lights flickered on, illuminating the room.

It was small, only a bit larger than a prison cell. Lights covered the walls, ceiling, and floors. A table, empty, was in the center of the room. Stainless steel cuffs lay unused on it- and yet another pair dangled from the ceiling in one corner. "What is this?" his voice was deeper than it had been a moment ago, and he realized with a start that he was larger- much larger.

"Sorry, it looked like a nice dream, but- we need to talk." A soft voice drew his attention back to the table. It wasn't empty anymore. A girl sat cross-legged on top in loose gray pants and an ill-fitting tank top with the straps knotted up. Clearly the clothing was made for someone older.

At first he didn't know who the girl was. There was something familiar about her, but something not-quite-right too, "I'm sorry?"

"Steve, you need to focus. This isn't a dream, and I don't know how long I can talk to you like this."

"I-Inessa?" he wasn't sure, but the name helped wake his mind up. He knew what didn't look right- her eyes were brown and, more startling, her skin was completely smooth. No scars, no warped flesh, she looked…. _Normal_. Which, for her, was completely _ab_ normal.

Relief filled her face and she nodded, "Yeah, that's right. Oh, thank god. I didn't know if I could reach you like this."

"What's going on?" he looked around, "Why are we here? Is this- are you saying this _isn't_ a dream?" more came back to him as he spoke, "Aren't you supposed to be in the Cage?"

"That's why I had to do this. It's like my whisper- only stronger." She spoke quickly now, "Steve, I had to warn you before it was too late- he's escaped. I know you want a logical end to all of this, but you _have_ to listen when I tell you he _can't_ be stopped. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I thought I beat him but then he came back and I wasn't ready." Distress flooded her face. She scooted off the table and stood, crossing to him, "I couldn't stop it."

"Couldn't stop what? Who's ' _he'_?"

"The Shadow King," Inessa held one of his hands in both of hers, "he was there when I came back to my body in Niflheim. I thought it was too easy to kick him out, but I think that's what he wanted. A few weeks later he attacked when I was sleeping. I wasn't ready for him. I- I couldn't stop him," tears filled her eyes and she hung her head, "I lost everything," she began to cry in earnest.

"What are you talking about?" he remembered what he used to do when she was younger and pulled her close, wrapping his arms firmly around her, "What did you lose?"

She pulled back and looked up at him as if she couldn't believe his stupidity, "I lost _me_ ," she turned back to look at the table, "Steve, he _killed_ me."

Steve followed her eyes and suddenly she was gone from his side. Inessa instead was lying on the table, arms resting at her sides. Her skin was gray-blue, her lips nearly black. Her eyes were sunk into their sockets so far that he could clearly see the bone around them. They were still open, and the silver irises were white and clouded.

"He killed me," she repeated. Her voice was a whisper that surrounded Steve as he let tears fall unchecked, "He took my body, my powers, my voice- and he hurt people. He's killed so many, and he's going to kill more. I know you've been trying to find a way to break the blood magic, but the spell already ended. I lost."

"W-what can I do?" he whispered, "Nessie, how can I help you?"

"I'm dead," the corpse was in front of him, right where Inessa had been. The sunken eyes and hollow cheeks grimaced as she touched his tears with a bony hand. When she spoke he could see black gums pulling away from the teeth, "as long as he has my body I'm trapped like this. Kill my body. Give me peace."

"I can't-"

"Please!" she cried out, "Please, you don't know what it's like to be trapped here in this place! I can't reclaim my body, its impossible now, and I can't die on my own. Help me. _You're_ the one who found me, _you're_ the one who saved me from Dennisson and myself. Save me one more time- from Purgatory."

"Nessie I-"

"He's going to kill everyone. He's going to destroy the Tower, but you can still stop him. Promise me you'll do this? Promise me!"

"I-" Steve took a deep breath, then reached up to put his warm hand on her cold cheek, "I swear." Tears fell from his eyes when he saw the relief his pledge gave her, "I'll help you."

"Thank you," she closed her eyes and rested her cheek in his hand, "you've always been like a father to me. Thank you." She pulled away from Steve and the room began to fade, "I can make it so you'll see the Shadow King for who he really is. The others won't know- but you will. Tell them what I said," she called out. Her form faded, but her voice remained, "Tell them I want this!"

A ringing filled Steve's ears and gradually grew into a roar. It took him a moment to register the noise was an _obnoxiously_ loud siren before he realized what it was- the security alarm.

Steve sat bolt upright as the vision faded away. It was so real… It _had_ to be Inessa reaching out. Sharon was already up and turning on the television, "JARVIS, what's going on? Show us!" the screen filled with an image of the cell broken and, more importantly, empty.

 _He's escaped!_ Her voice was crystal clear in his memory. His heart fell.

"At 11:47pm Miss Ryker escaped from her cell. It would appear she used her familiar to destroy the emitters from the outside."

Sharon looked at the clock, "JARVIS, THAT WAS 8 HOURS AGO! WHY IS THE ALARM ONLY GOING OFF NOW?!"

"Security protocols dictate an 8 hour gap between detection and alerts," JARVIS sounded defensive.

Tony's voice cut into the house speakers, he must have hacked his way in, "NO THEY DON'T!"

"Inessa's screwing with the system again," Natasha cut in too.

Tony swore viciously, "JARVIS, FULL SYSTEM RESTORE- GO BACK ONE YEAR! NOW!"

"You will lose the following data-"

"I DON'T CARE! Your security protocols and who knows what else have been compromised! Do it!"

Comms clicked out as the Tower shut down. Steve jumped from his bed. System restores took ten minutes, during that time all comms would be down. Sharon close behind, Steve ran out his door and down to the Leader's guest floor. He yanked the door open, almost tripped over Barkey, and looked around as the leaders left their rooms to congregate in the shared living space.

"What's going on?" Wanda demanded.

"Nessie's out," Natasha looked to Steve, "how?"

"Nadya. Somehow she got through the protection on the cage. That's not what's important right now. Listen-" Thor came in halfway through Steve's recount of his vision, but he caught on soon enough. Systems were coming back online as JARVIS finished his reset and within seconds their comms were swamped with confused Avengers awaiting orders. Steve called up Sam's comm and filled him in as well, "According to Nessa the Shadow King took her down months ago."

"That's a load of bullshit," Sam responded immediately, "I bet you anything after one hit he's ' _defeated_ ' and Inessa miraculously comes back from _'Purgatory'_. We have to agree now that even if she bats her eyes and says she's saved I still get to put a bullet in her brain."

"No, _you_ don't," Steve snapped, "she made it clear that the Shadow King intends to blow the Tower. You and Wanda are in charge of leading the evacuation of this building and all others within a two block radius. I'm accepting _no_ collateral damage this time."

" _Are you stupid?!_ " Sam was incredulous, "What did Bucky see? The Tower hollowed out and everyone _except_ Wand and I dead! I won't let you just walk into that future without a fight!"

"There are more than 7,000 dead already," Steve's voice took on a hard edge, "evacuation is what your group specializes in. It's the role you _chose_ when we sectioned off the Avengers. You wanna be here when the Tower blows? Get those buildings evacuated, fast. I'll have the city's best help speed things up."

"But-"

"THAT'S AN ORDER!"

"She's going to _kill_ you!"

"She's going to try," Steve went on before Sam could protest further, "now, get back here with the others you have holed up. After the evacuation you can hunt Inessa to your heart's content. And if you think it's a ruse- then don't miss on your first shot."

"Listen up kids," Tony switched to general comms to address all Avengers before Sam could start bitching again, "Inessa Ryker has escaped the Cage. We now have proof that the Shadow King took control of her a long time ago and-" he hesitated as the reality of it struck him suddenly, "-and we're not going to get her back…"

"Inessa died fighting for us," Steve stepped up, "and in her memory we will end this. The Tower is under an imminent threat. Sam and Wanda's teams are evacuating everyone within a two-block radius. Natasha and Clint's teams will begin sweeping this building for explosives and any sign of Ryker. Stark and Banner's teams are in charge of locking down our remote facilities in case of an attack there as well as monitoring JARVIS' systems for further tampering. Coordinate incoming of Camp Hammond at the upstate facility. Thor's team as well as mine will be on stand-by to assist where needed. Marie Richards and Amadeus Cho will be taken into protective custody _immediately_. By force, if necessary."

"If anyone sees Inessa-"

"Steve interrupted Tony, "Exterminate with prejudice." He switched off his comm and looked to the Leaders around him. Thor, Banner, and Tony were with him. Natasha, Clint, and Wanda looked less convinced, "I know this isn't easy, but if it was we wouldn't be the ones handling it. I need to know you're all going to honor Inessa's last wishes."

He stared down each of them in turn as they either nodded or hung their heads in resignation. Too few would meet his eyes, "Just because I don't like it doesn't mean I'm not with you," Clint mumbled.

"Good enough. C'mon, we don't know how much time we have." The Avengers leadership dispersed to their various missions. "Tony," Steve caught Stark's arm as he passed and held him in place until the others had gone, "you and I know she changed that frequency. We've kept it quiet to avoid a panic-"

"And see what she does."

Steve nodded, "Get into the Cage's system and copy the frequency you used there. If Nadya broke her out then that means it was working. I want it broadcasting through every last comm unit, speaker, radio, television, laptop, and cell phone in this building. If sound comes out of it, that frequency comes out of it."

"She might not be here," Tony pointed out, "her body and the thing in it could be anywhere."

"We know it'll take out the Tower," Steve released Tony and clapped him once on the shoulder, "I'm willing to bet she's not far."

* * *

"Alert. Theft detected in medical sto- alert. Theft detected in library sto- alert. Theft detected in armo- alert. Theft detected in Uniform sto- alert. Theft detected in general suppl- alert. Theft detected in personal sto- alert-"

"JARVIS, shut up!" Clint snapped. Ever since the reboot finished he'd been going non-stop as his systems received stored data from the sensors in the Tower- the ones he was waiting 8 hours to share. "She raided us, we get it. Only announce _new_ information."

"Meds, the Asgardian books, weapons, uniforms, food, Bucky's gear, Avenger files," Natasha rattled off the list of things he'd been announcing, "someone is stocking up for a panic room."

"Or panic-cave," Clint added, "you remember how fond she is of caves."

" _Was_ of caves."

Clint was silent at that, but only for a moment, "Do you think she's really- what are the odds Steve had a normal bad dream?"

Natasha was a floor above him, but he could picture her hesitating in the search for either Inessa or a bomb, "Stupidly low. What she told him fits what we've been seeing but- … I don't know."

"Yes you do. Tell me."

"It's too clean," she admitted, "Inessa's been dead for _months_ and she manages to contact Steve when there's a prison break and we're literally about to meet to decide her fate? Plus, she told him the _one thing_ he'd need to hear to feel better about all of this? Inessa's too smart for a plan that stupid."

"Trap," he sighed, "I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking it."

"JARVIS, any thefts detected in general quarters?" Natasha opened the question to JARVIS.

He sifted through the files and footage gathered by sensors, "Nothing has been reported as of yet, but based on communications chatter an extraordinary number of Avengers have misplaced personal items of significant sentimental value."

"That's Nessa."

"Disaster Protocol Echo," Clint smiled to himself, "as soon as we knew Thanos was coming to New York."

"Inessa moved everything non-replaceable from the Tower," Natasha remembered it fondly, "so even if Thanos blew it to Hell none of us would lose more than we had to."

"It's a nice gesture, but it only tells us she's given up on the Tower again. So what changed? She sat quietly in her cell for weeks. Why do a prison break _today_? Why give up now?"

"Meet me in her apartment," Natasha suggested, "it's the first place I'd go to if I was her." She waved off her teammates as they abandoned their search of the library for traces of Inessa, "You all keep working." She took two steps towards the door and the lights shot up suddenly. Natasha looked around quickly- not a single shadow was left in the room. Just like the first time they'd tried to keep Inessa at bay.

"Tony has the frequency up," Clint confirmed, scratching at his hearing aid, "now she's either trapped in here with us or locked out entirely."

"Hurry up then. I don't want Sam or Steve finding her before we get our answers."

* * *

Clint caught up with his lover on the stairs and together they ascended to Inessa's apartment. How many times had it been searched over the last few months? Over the last few hours? If Inessa found something they missed the odds weren't great they would have the same epiphany. And so what if they did? Steve's dream could hardly be ignored. The odds were just as good that in deviating from Inessa's orders they'd be playing into the Shadow King's hands.

"If we had Bucky this wouldn't be so difficult," Clint pushed the door open lightly and Natasha entered, "we could use him as bait."

"He'd side with her," Natasha went straight for the living room, to Inessa's insane wallpaper job, "if only because he feels guilty about Astana." She stopped on the edge of the room and examined the carpet carefully.

"I'll never tease her for the ultra-plush again," Clint promised. The thick, soft floor showed footprints fairly cleanly. All they had to do was find a set that appeared and vanished randomly. He started looking around the edges, wherever there would normally be a nice shadow for her to use, "There." He pointed to the far corner.

Natasha carefully followed the wall to the prints, then slowly traced them. It was difficult to read impressions in carpeting, but the spacing and the way some of the fibers faced against the rest told her as much as footprints in dirt would, "she was in a hurry." Natasha frowned, "a _big_ hurry." Loose pages littered the floor, many crumpled and torn, "She was planning on leaving, taking this with her, but she wasn't being delicate."

"Like she expected the alarm?" Clint's face matched hers, "But I thought she was the one who put in the delay timer?"

"She turned," Natasha adjusted her stance and skimmed the wall in front of her, "looked at the traitor research, but she didn't take anything from there." A circular impression and long stretch of swept-back carpet at her feet caught Natasha's attention, "Inessa fell halfway, then-" four thin tendrils of carpet were pulled back, "she was strong enough to run here, then falls and grabs the carpet for support? She didn't get up. She disappeared from here."

Clint took that as permission to join Natasha in the living room without damaging anything, "Can you show me what it would have looked like again?" he watched her re-map the footprints, then fall and trace the handprint. He frowned, "She's been weak, but that doesn't look like weak to me. If Nessie felt that frail she'd have gone straight for the meds, but Banner said none of her special caffeine is missing. It's one of the only things she didn't take… So what did she see that took her legs out?"

He backed away from Natasha slowly to see what was in Inessa's eyeline when she grabbed the floor. What took that last little bit out of her? " _There_ ," Natasha stopped him in the tangle of red string at the center of the room. The light behind her _hummed_ slightly. Natasha glanced back to see it flutter, "JARVIS, put this floor on night-mode."

"Master Stark has ordered all floors remain protected until-"

"Then take everything to 50%, keep the standard night grid at 100. The one behind me is dying. Oscillate it."

JARVIS obeyed and Natasha saw a very faint shadow appearing and disappearing, ending at Clint's feet, "She saw her own shadow?"

"No prints," he looked down, "but Nadya could have been here. I've never seen Ness so much as stub a toe without her coming to the rescue. When Inessa fell she probably jumped out."

"Do you think _Nadya_ set her off?" Natasha stood and looked down at the strings, "Or her shadow?"

Clint half-shrugged, "You know, everything points here, but… Maybe not _there_ ," he pointed to Natasha. "Nessie's not the Shadow _alone_ , and I've always wondered about that thing. From what we know Nadya was killing long before Inessa allowed it. They're separate entities, that could mean separate agendas."

Natasha scoffed, "You're just mad that Nadya always worked against you in prank wars." She hesitated, "But I'll admit it makes sense, in a way."

"She asked Steve about her mother's body when she was in the cage. Maybe she thinks someone turned Emilie into this second Shadow she's been talking about? Maybe they gave Nadya her body to use the way Inessa uses Emilie's kid?"

"Or Inessa's always been human," Natasha suggested, "we've all thought that at one point or another. Cul Borson couldn't know if she was human or not, but we based everything on what he said to her and Thor. If Project Helius only changed her then maybe it changed her mother too."

"Except Emilie's body was largely destroyed. She'd be trapped without it. Maybe latch onto Nessie even. It was hard for Nessa to open portals when we had her body locked down. Without a viable one _period_? It's possible." Clint scratched his head.

"Inessa would be stronger," Natasha agreed, "but Emilie might have perfected more basic abilities, like the whisper. It'd explain Dimitri hiding her all those years only to sell her out, and maybe-"

They both came to the same conclusion, "-invade someone's dreams." Clint's face went pale, "Convince them to take out the last line of defense this Tower has. Nessa."

"Inessa was too busy cleaning out the Tower, she wouldn't have had time to send Steve any messages. But Nadya probably would. I doubt Inessa's calling her much if she suspects."

"Her other half is her scary-ass Hail-Hydra mother who is actively trying to get her killed," Clint shuddered, " _that's_ enough to knock her legs out from under her."

Natasha stood and walked over to the timeline, "That explains-" she knocked on anything regarding Noelle, the Astana safehouse, and the Indonesian tip-off, "but not the rest. If it's Emilie, she's not alone."

"Inessa's warlord theory?" Clint offered, "Maybe the Shadow King is the real threat here. Emilie is just the minion."

They were quiet as both assessed the situation. An enemy agent loose in the Tower for _years_ , and if Inessa took this long to make the connection- "we're playing catchup on a game that's already over. No wonder she's clearing the Tower."

"We have to tell Steve," Clint's arm was intercepted halfway up to his comm.

Natasha pulled it back down, then released him, "No. Inessa didn't come to us with this, so she's already got her own pieces on the board. We don't tell Steve until we've spoken with _her_. Cluing him in could tip off Emilie or her sponsor and end with this place going _boom_ around us. Our mission isn't changed: Find Inessa. Just no shooting when we see her."

"OK, this then," he tapped a different code into his comms, "Wanda, it's Clint. We're good here, but I need you to keep Sam out of the Tower. Prolong the evacuation as much as possible. He's too tightly wound. Last thing we need is him jumping in and shooting at every little motion in his periphery." He waited for Wanda's confirmation, then shut down the comm, "Alright. Let's find Nessa."

* * *

"What the hell are you doing?" Wanda heard Sam's stomping from the back corner of the office.

She turned innocently and propped open the closet door, "I'm being thorough."

"I've seen you clear entire city blocks inside an hour. You're drawing this out!" Sam advanced on her, "Are you working with _her_? Maybe that's why you're not on the list of the dead, traitor."

She remained as calm as she could, but her voice took on a hard edge, "Listen _friend_ , we've worked together for a long time, so I will explain this _once_. I just found out my best friend is dead and I didn't even _notice_ , so my patience is at its absolute limit right now. You _know_ every time we issue an evacuation notice half the people leave and half stay behind to take their little videos. Steve said no more casualties so yes, I'm being thorough and yes, I acknowledge I'm a bit distracted, but do not accuse me and DO NOT SNAP AT ME!" her voice grew louder as she went until the calm exterior crumbled and she was shouting in Sam's face, "NOW EITHER HELP ME OR GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!"

"The Tower could blow at any minute," Sam's temper subsided at Wanda's display, "I just want to be part of the effort to stop that. I know we have two very different opinions of Inessa-"

"-we didn't used to. You and her were thick as thieves only _weeks_ ago. If anyone's a traitor, maybe it's you for turning against _her_."

"Yeah, well, I'm not living with my head in the sand anymore. You can keep yours firmly planted as long as you want." He didn't want to fight with his friend, he just wanted to catch the enemy, "I'll make you a deal. If you find her, call me. I'll take care of it. Now, as I was saying- I know we have different opinions of Inessa, but I'm willing to acknowledge that to accommodate you, so stop stalling. If the Tower blows and I'm here instead of there helping _our_ friends escape, I'm coming after you next."

Wanda's scowl reappeared, "Do not tell me how to do my job. If I want to take all day you cannot stop me. _Thousands_ have died already, NO MORE! Now, this will go quicker if you do as _I_ said and HELP ME OR GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

 _Well said_ , it was a tickle at the back of her mind, an instinct rather than a voice, _the bathroom. If anyone's hiding out in here, it'll be in there. No windows, dark, and most people don't stop to search the toilets._ Wanda pushed past Sam to resume her search, _you really really want to search the restroom. Two floors up, on the left side. You didn't look while you were up there…_

She followed her gut up to the ladies room, leaving Sam to finish that floor on his own, "Get out of my head!" she whispered fiercely the first time she passed into the empty bathroom.

"Steve is _wrong_ , I'm not dead!" A real whisper now, not one of those weird mental nudges.

"I don't believe you!"

"I know who's doing this, I finally have a lead and I need your help if I'm going to stop any of this!"

Wanda found the darkest corner of the restroom and flipped it off, "You killed my friend!"

"Look in my mind!" Inessa stepped from the darkness and faced her closest ally, "take a good, long look and _then_ tell me I'm some made-up Shadow King!"

Inessa looked like hell. Her hair was unkempt and loose, but it didn't hide her sallow skin, red-rimmed eyes, and sunken cheeks as much as she might hope. Something was eating away at her, and it had only gotten worse, "I am looking," Wanda took a step back, "and I don't see anyone I recognize."

" _Loki_ is the Shadow King, I'm almost positive! The blood magic wasn't his, it was- I don't know, whoever he's working for now. Thanos' Warlord! He's tricking you into taking me out to make things easier on _himself_ in the next phase. I-" Inessa's voice caught suddenly and her face fell. The fevered energy burning in her eyes seemed to go out and she stepped back from Wanda, "I-" she shook her head, "I can't say it… I just- I'm done saying it." It was like she'd reached a quota and couldn't go any further, _I need you to trust me_ , even the thought of saying it one more time made her feel physically ill, "I'm sorry, I'll figure this out on my own. Goodbye," she wouldn't even make eye contact.

"Inessa, wait!" Wanda reached out and grabbed her arm. Inessa stopped, obedient, "Let me see," with a flick of her wrist she sent a scarlet lancet of power into Inessa's mind. She saw a vision of her deepest fears come to pass- the Tower destroyed, the Avengers dead at her feet, and only Nadya by her side as the world around her burned. When the vision cleared Inessa swayed and caught herself on the edge of a sink, "Do you really think you can stop that?"

"I have to," her voice was sincere, but Wanda noticed she deliberately avoided answering the question. Inessa didn't think she could save anyone, but she was still willing to try. At the end of the day, wasn't that who an Avenger was supposed to be? Someone who was willing to fight no matter what? Surrendering, even under pressure, was hardly something she was known for.

"We don't do this right now, and not here," Wanda thought carefully, "The A.I.M. building two blocks north. Meet me there at one on the ninth floor. I'll ditch Sam and help you, but this is the last time."

"Thank you!" Inessa's relief was enough to bring tears to the girls eye, "Thank you so much."

"Go. Sam will come looking for me soon."

"I will, I'll start the preparations. Wanda, I owe you so much for this!" She burst into a cloud of black mist and was gone.

Wanda left the restroom and scanned the building for Sam. He was five floors down now. She wasted no time in making her way to him, "What? I'm helping." He was defensive the moment she entered the cube farm.

She said nothing, but crooked her finger and led him into a corner office with floor to ceiling windows. It was the best they could expect in the business tower, "I just saw her- _it_ upstairs," Wanda said urgently, "Steve was right, that isn't Inessa. It can't be."

Sam's hand went to the gun on his thigh, "What did you get from her?"

"A meeting. A.I.M. Tower, ninth floor, one o'clock."

"We should tell Steve, maybe Tony, and leave the others free to find whatever she used to rig the Tower to blow."

"There is more- I believe there is another attack planned, something bigger than just destroying our Tower. The beast mentioned another phase."

Sam's jaw clenched, "She's not satisfied with the death toll so far?"

"We know _something_ though- she said she cannot enter the Tower. Whatever defenses they have enabled work. We should use that to contain her."

"We won't need to, this ends today," he glanced to her and raised an eyebrow, " _now_ will you help me clear the building?"

Wanda held out her hands and a red fog filled the room. It flooded the air vents, snaked through to every corner of the building, and within moments she smiled, "Two on the tenth floor, one on five, six in the penthouse."

"I knew you were holding out," he was half annoyed, half kidding, "get them out. I'll fill in Steve and Tony and set the trap."

* * *

Wanda made it as far as the elevator. There was a slight jolt, a whirring noise, then all went dark. There was a stillness to the metal that made her shiver in the blackness. She felt the metal box tilt slightly, then bump into something solid. Wanda used her power to push at the doors, but it didn't take a genius to guess who was waiting on the other side.

"Now that _that_ is out of your system, are you ready to help?" Inessa looked _pissed_. The elevator was sitting on the floor of a dimly lit cavern, and knowing her it could be anywhere. Wanda doubted the GPS on her comms was finding any signal. Could she fight her way out? Probably not, with Inessa it was a 2 on 1 battle against opponents she couldn't hold. Inessa could keep her here for a long time before anyone found her. _If_ they found her.

"Where are we?"

"You think what you found in Astana was my safehouse?" Inessa turned her back on her treacherous friend and walked further into the cavern, " _This_ is my safehouse."

Wanda followed her out of the elevator and onto a ledge to look over the cavern. It turned out they were only on the upper level of the massive space. A hundred yards below was a camp filled with lanterns, arc generators, and crates stacked haphazardly between tents and even several full-sized shipping crates, "Valley base camp?" Wanda was amazed to see it here.

"And then some," Inessa turned back to face Wanda with her hands on her hips, "You get a choice now. Help me like you _promised_ and I will put you back where I found you, or kill me like you were _ordered_ to and I promise you will die here yourself before anyone digs you out."

"I'M NOT HELPING YOU GET STRONGER! Do you think I still believe you are Inessa?! I'm not an idiot! She would _never_ threaten a friend!"

"You wanted to trap me so Sam could _kill_ me, and you were going to use _my_ trust to do that! You call yourself a _friend_?! Friend TRUST each other! Friends HELP each other! I ask you one favor and I get ATTEMPTED MURDER, but YOU say I'm the one who isn't being a FRIEND?!" Inessa pulled a scythe out of thin air and held it at the ready, "Help me or try to kill me. Decide now because I'm done being patient and I'm DONE begging for chances!"

"I would rather die than help a MONSTER!"

"That wasn't an option." Inessa jumped forward and struck Wanda with the hilt of the weapon. The woman fell to the ground, stunned, "Help it is then."

* * *

Emilie watched Inessa closely as she moved Wanda to the cavern floor. There was a large open area, cleared of any stone projections or pieces of gear. Inessa retrieved two mental spikes, a hammer, chain, and cuffs. She picked a spot in the center of the floor and created a small post to latch Wanda to before striking her down once again. A metal projection hammered into stone wasn't nearly enough to hold the Scarlet Witch, but a prison on Niflheim wasn't enough to hold Inessa, and if Loki's trickery taught her anything it was that the blood magic that bound her to what she was betting was her mother's body wasn't reliant on the participants being _conscious_.

The other half of the Shadow watched as she began to work, but she couldn't figure out what the child was doing for several _hours_. Inessa ran to and fro within the clearing with her hammer and the metal spike, digging trenches of different sizes and shapes, then delicately connecting one another. She seemed to be working from memory, and often she would step back to double or even triple check a design before moving on. She was crafting a spider's web, with Wanda at it's center.

Hours upon hour passed before Inessa seemed pleased with her work. She threw the hammer and spike away and, much to Emilie's surprise, vanished herself only to reappear a moment later with a Hydra foot-soldier, "Thanks for your help," she took her scythe out and with a single motion severed the man's head from his body in an impressive display of brutality, "Nadya! Get me more. Seven. I want one wolf pinning each down-" she pointed to several rectangles as she held the man's severed head upside down, "take only Hydra. NOW!"

When Nadya vanished Inessa turned her attention back to a waking Wanda. She jammed a finger into the man's neck, wetting it with blood, "What are you doing?" her _friend_ groaned as Inessa drew on her. She tried to move away, but her hands were stuck fast to the metal spike.

"Trying to cheat," she traced faster as the wolves reappeared, each with a very confused and frightened soldier. By the time Inessa had finished with Wanda, and traced the same symbols on herself, all seven men were ready.

"Rip out their throats!" Inessa commanded. Emilie was apprehensive of her child's actions. She watched from afar as her pack obeyed and Hydra blood flowed into the trenches. A symbol near each of them filled first, and once that had happened around every corpse they began to bubble. The blood moved quickly once all the symbols were activated, and it came faster as though an unnatural force was pulling it through the trenches and towards Wanda and Inessa.

She didn't move from Wanda's side as the blood surrounded them and filled in the center where she'd chained the other girl. Inessa reached down and touched the blood, then held it up to the symbol drawn across her own face.

That was when Emilie felt something. A white hot pain seared threw her, drew her back towards her own body in Red Skull's fortress, then blasted her back to Earth. She roared at the light surrounding her and forced her way back to the cavern to stop her idiotic child from ruining everything- but it was too late.

All of the symbols on Inessa burned with a red glow. She touched her fingers to the pool once more and traced the same symbol on Wanda's forehead, "Blood magic is limited to one per person. Loki bound me to something he wanted brought to life. Now I'm swapping that bond for this one," she finished the final stroke on the symbol and in an instant the others lit up, "at least I know you won't bleed me dry."

A fast wind whipped around them, but the two didn't seem touched by it. The blood appeared to boil in Inessa's trenches, then glow as her spell took hold. She felt something invisible snap away and a warm strength eased the weak ache in her bones. The bond with Emilie's half-dead body was gone. A wave of energy blasted outwards towards the camp. It threw the nearest shipping crate up into the ceiling far above, then everything abruptly settled.

Emilie crept closer and snarled as the dust died down and Inessa was visible once more. She waved a hand and the bodies, the blood, and several inches of floor vanished, destroying all evidence of what she'd done, "Thanks for your unwilling participation. Don't forget- I tried to ask nicely." She was still cold as she released Wanda from her bindings, "Tell them I'm still coming. They can get out of my way and let me save their asses, or continue to lock me out and make it easier for Thanos' Warlord to kill them. I'm done waiting for their approval."

"Wait!" Wanda didn't know what to believe anymore- she felt the link the blood magic created, but she also knew, somehow, that the magic didn't tie her to any monster. It tied her to _Inessa_. As violated as she felt after the grizzly spell, she wanted to be sure of her position, "How do I know you're really Inessa?"

Her friend laughed once, "I honestly don't give a _fuck_ who you think I am anymore." She waved a hand and in a burst of black mist, Wanda was gone.

* * *

Part 2 will follow tomorrow night :)


	42. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: The Explosion, Part 2**

"INESSA, WAIT!" Wanda jumped up and spun around- but her voice just echoed back to her in the still city. She looked up at the first stars visible during the sunset and around at the skyscrapers- all dark, all silent. Inessa put her back in the evacuated region of New York, and it was _haunting_.

Something slammed into her from behind and before Wanda knew it she was airborne, zooming between buildings and up towards the fully-lit Avengers Tower. She looked down at the arms around her torso and breathed a sigh of relief at the dark purple skin. Her arms were pinned to her sides but she leaned her head in to fit under Vision's chin and nuzzled her husband slightly. He responded by brushing his lips lightly against her cheek as they made their final approach to the protection and safety of the Tower.

"Wanda!" Steve was out on the balcony in a flash as Vision landed with his wife. Concern was traced with fear on the Captain's face. He held out a hand as if warding her off, "Are you alright? What happened?"

Vision put himself between Wanda and Steve and clenched his fists, "Wanda has had a difficult day. Don't you think you should let her come inside and take a breath before you proceed with this?"

"Proceed with what?" Wanda assumed the tension was due to her kidnapping, but when Steve looked back at her there was a hint of suspicion in his eyes that made her uneasy. She put a hand on Vision's arm to lead him aside so she could face her boss fully, "You think I'm working with her?"

"You've been gone a long time," Steve watched her carefully, "and you wouldn't be here if Inessa didn't allow it. How do we know you weren't compromised the same way she was?"

Wanda met her husband's eyes and shrugged apologetically before turning back to Steve, "She used the blood magic on me, then let me go."

It felt like the entire world went silent. Vision's face paled (believe it or not, it _was_ possible), Steve took a visible step back, and none spoke. Wanda looked up through the windows of the Tower and saw the faces of her friends pressed there. Leaders and Avengers alike, all waiting for her to come home, all waiting on Steve's cue, "She said the Shadow King was using her to bring something to life, but she didn't know what. Since she couldn't _break_ the blood magic, she simply re-cast the spell. With me in her place. Whatever connection she had to the Shadow King she claims to have broken it, but now I am the one tied to her."

"So the Shadow King burned through Inessa and now he's after you?" Steve's voice was soft, "Maybe that's why the Asgardians could never find him- he just ruins one life and moves on to the next."

"Maybe," as sure as she had been of Inessa's intentions his worlds still scared her. Could that be all this was? A body-snatching parasite waging war on Earth? "Steve, if it's alright with you, can I take myself off of the roster? Vision and I will go- I'll go back to my facility and remain there until we know exactly what Inessa is doing. I don't want you all distracted worrying about what _I_ might do." Wanda spoke plainly, as always. There was no need for her to veil her intentions or parse her words, "It makes the most sense, and you know this."

"I'll have to add my own stipulations," Steve said after a pause, "do you understand?"

Wanda nodded, "Do whatever you have to do. Lock me in a cell or put me in cryo. If she needs me for her plans, it's just safer for the rest of you right now if I am not in the way."

Vision's scowl made it clear enough to Steve what _he_ thought of the idea of his wife being imprisoned. At least as long as they knew Inessa was out there Wanda had a chance. That was Steve's reasoning, at least, "You'll go to Clint and Natasha's facility where you will be under the guard of _their_ teams plus Thor's. That way I know for sure you don't have anything hidden away the Shadow King will use against us and your own team doesn't have to worry about fighting you. You will be confined to quarters, but not imprisoned. Is that alright?"

"It is more than fair," Wanda took Vision's hand in hers, "thank you Steve."

Steve nodded and looked back to the Tower. He opened his comms and repeated his decision to the others inside, then watched as the three teams began to disburse to find their belongings (whatever Inessa hadn't stolen, of course), "Sam, you too. Once you drop them off you can leave them the Quin-Jet and get back here faster than anyone crammed into one of Tony's suits."

"That's not a good decision," Sam warned. Wanda could tell from his tone (and Steve's reaction) that they'd been arguing _a lot_ today, she felt sorry for their leader.

"Shove it up your ass. That's an order."

"There's something else. I don't know if she's Inessa or the Shadow King or _what_ , but you should know she isn't playing nice anymore. She's doing whatever she thinks she needs to and she isn't being gentle about it," Wanda pulled her hair aside and showed Steve a lump on the back of her neck where she'd hit her head when Inessa knocked her out. She also rolled back her sleeves to show off the angry red lines where the cuffs dug into her wrists, "She's chaotic and she isn't giving anyone second chances. Inessa or no- be careful."

He slowly stepped forward and held out a hand- this time without the warning. Wanda shook it, then pulled him into a hug, "You're going to be alright," he reassured her, "we'll figure this out. I promise."

"Be safe," Wanda's voice wavered and she pulled away, "don't take unnecessary risks."

"This isn't goodbye, it's 'See you soon'."

* * *

Steve was the one who would have to explain it to the Avengers- what Inessa did to Wanda, their new theories about this Shadow King and his motivations, and formulate a game plan to stop it. A whisper in the back of her mind said that she should feel sorry for him, or for casting the blood magic and killing eight people in cold blood...

But truthfully she was completely numb now. Inessa had known pain, guilt, fear, terror, and the agony of a child trapped with a lifetime's worth of nightmares in her mind. The last few months reminded her of that feeling- like someone skinned your _soul_ raw and shoved it back in. It was a pain she hadn't known since she first returned to her body, before she found a way to heal herself. Red Skull and Emilie had pushed her _that_ far- but you can only bend so much before you break, and she was beyond that point now.

Avengers Tower was a fortress fit for the army it housed. Every entrance was impenetrable, every doorway monitored, every hallway covered, every blind spot accounted for with enough redundancies to protect it from anything. Not a soul went in or out of that place without a background check that would make the CIA's look like basic googling. Inessa was in charge of the Avengers security, but there was a damn good reason she masqueraded as a member of Tower security: she knew every last trick and switch and spent her free time finding creative ways to slip about unnoticed- even one or two with a powerless provision.

There was one point in the entire Tower that was vulnerable to attack: The main sewage line. A gigantic pipe running out of the building into the city line. Every building had one, but Avengers Tower had _two_ \- thanks to Inessa. After the devastation of Thanos Tony hired the best crews in the world to rebuild their home in record time with the most cutting edge technology available. While the Avengers moved into the satellite facilities (Inessa stayed with Clint and Natasha back on the farm) any remaining scrap of the original Tower was torn out down to the very foundations of the building.

Throughout the entire process Inessa was there to whisper into the minds of the builders, convincing them that the old sewage line was handled precisely to code- meaning a sheet of plywood was placed over it and a thin layer of cement was poured to hide it away. It was meant as a bit of fun- maybe a smugglers hold, maybe an emergency escape, maybe something to be used in a prank war somehow- the possibilities were endless. She'd even used it a few dozen times over the last couple of years- usually to hide birthday or Christmas presents from both her team and Tony. Now it was her way back in.

Inessa entered the sewers as close to the Tower as possible, then made her way to the curtain of SHIELD issued retro-reflective camo bolted securely to the wall to hide the cleared sewage line. The stench (and any of Eoin's minions who dared wander this close to the Tower) was held at bay by a special personal shield device rigged to sit just behind the camouflage and reinforce the fabric so that it not only looked like just another dingy brick wall, it felt like one.

She'd changed into her uniform before beginning her mission, and not only so that the combat boots would keep her feet dry as she mucked her way through the sewers. Her scythes were mostly decorative (unless she raided a Hydra facility that knew how to defend against her powers), but the right hand one was layered with a microchip in the handle that allowed the person holding it to pass through the shield. The shield and the key were prototypes for a Tower-wide lockdown protocol developed for the new building. Amadeus swiped them at her request- he just thought her intentions for them were a little more practical-joke based.

Inessa cut through the curtain and slipped through the shield into what she'd long thought of as her antechamber. It took almost fifty gallons of bleach, two dozen gallons of fabreeze, and at least a month's worth of candles to chase the toxic stench from the tube, but it was all worth it. Inside she'd built raised platforms that allowed for an easy ascent to the Tower above as well as storage space and even a small bunk, in case she ever needed it. It was far from a safe house, that was what her cavern was for. No, this was closer to a pirate's treasure-trove. A secret place no one knew about.

Maybe she'd always had her suspicions buried deep down, maybe luck was on her side, maybe something else was at play- Inessa always kept the tunnel shrouded, even from Nadya. Tony experimented with his frequencies throughout her adolescence, though he never used them against her. Before Amadeus came she stole one of the emitters to try and learn how to fight _through_ it, _beat_ it, but with her new friend's arrival and his manipulation of Tony's database she felt safe enough to end those experiments. After she created her hideaway the emitter was neatly tucked into a corner. Inessa used it for a new kind of practice- how to slip about undetected without her abilities as even a possibility. Thanks to her own willingness to push her strength and skills Nadya had never even _seen_ this place. If she had Inessa had no doubt Noelle's body would have been found there.

She followed the smooth edges of the tunnel up towards the rough patches were she'd widened it over the years for larger storage space. All in all the space went on for only around fifty feet before it ended in a shining silver ladder. That was where fate stepped in once again: To hide his new security features and special traps, Tony had the walls of Avengers Tower built thicker than necessary on _normal_ buildings. Her thin wood and concrete slab capping off the old sewage line ran right through the inside of two walls.

Well, in all honesty it wasn't fate so much as her swiping the blueprints and making an adjustment of about 6 feet on one end. Either way- between the straight climb up and an army-crawl through the flooring Inessa was 75% sure she could reach the Avengers floors of the Tower. The infrastructure was there- theoretically. In truth Inessa only ever made it up twenty floors before the odd little obstacle course lost her interest. She'd just used her powers to access the pipe through the sewers ever since. Now she had no choice- the only way into Avengers Tower was to literally walk through the walls up well over 100 floors.

It would be difficult enough if she had all _day_ to do it, but Inessa wasn't sure how much time was left before Red Skull and Emilie made their next move. She had to go, _now_.

 _The things I do for you assholes._

* * *

Her initial plan- ten floors then five minute's rest- only worked the first few times. Then it became ten floors _ten_ minute's rest. Soon after it was 5 floors. Shadow-demon powers didn't do anything to enhance Inessa's strength or stamina, and it didn't help with climbing up a _skyscraper_. She didn't even know how high she was anymore- did she just complete her 7th set, was she about to complete her 7th set, or was the _next_ one her 7th set? At what point had she changed to 5 floors again?

So much for getting up to the Tower and forcing everyone out. She didn't know what was more difficult now- the low crawl through the floors with her head practically touching both ceiling and floor simultaneously or trying to climb a ladder where the walls were so close together that she had to hold onto a rung almost as far above her head as her arms could go, all because there wasn't enough space to lean back. If Inessa had ever completed her inaugural climb she'd have known the route was impractical at best. It wasn't hard to make a self-ascending ladder anymore- why hadn't she just used _those_?!

 _Because 18 year-old me thought it would be FUN to be old-fashioned. Stupid brat._ _How are you supposed to find Bucky's old arm, fight off the Avengers, get to the balcony, and jump off before it goes boom if you can't even lift your damn arms or legs? Is walking even an option anymore?_

The temptation to use her new blood tie was almost overwhelming. She could _feel_ Wanda's strength like it was her own. Her muscles were jelly but her bones were steel. It was like the cure for her exhaustion was sitting behind a door and all she had to do was decide how far to open it. Surely Wanda would understand- it was for the sake of her mission to save everyone else! But as angry as she was, and as much as Inessa looked forward to taking her best shot at giving Steve a black eye for all the trouble he put her through, she couldn't bring herself to do it. No matter what.

She broke her best friend's trust by casting the blood magic. If she activated that curse it would drain life and energy from Wanda just as it had Inessa. She remembered vividly the seizure, the twisting pain in her gut, the fatigue, the fever- everything Emilie put her through thanks to that magic. Inessa wasn't going to inflict that on her friend.

About five feet from the end of the latest crawling portion Inessa's arms gave out. _Fine._ She hit the stopwatch on her wrist. Ten minutes rest, then she had to press on. Eventually, she knew, the walls would change to Hulk-proof panels, signaling her arrival at the Avengers floors. How much longer until that point was anyone's guess, but she just hoped it would be soon.

Up the ladder, down a short crawlspace, and up just two more floors- a 10 minute journey- the tesseract power cell in Bucky's old arm reached critical mass. The transmitter activated, and the weapon was primed. All that was left was for Red Skull to press a single button and Avengers Tower would blow.

 _Hurry up little Nessie,_ he whispered to himself, _I want you to see this for yourself._

* * *

"I bet she's in the Tower."

"Shut. Up."

"Think about it- if everyone was searching high and low for you, where would you go?"

"Far away from _you_."

"See? You're an idiot and she's brilliant, so whatever you think she's doing, whatever _you_ would do, is the opposite of what _she'd_ do."

Marie held up her hand and sucked a bit of the heat from the room to form a small ball of fire, "I swear to god, if you don't shut up-"

"You'll what?" Amadeus leaned towards the flame, "Go ahead- tell me. What will you do? Are you going to kill your boss? She's either possessed or evil, they can't decide which and they've issued execution orders. You _willfully_ murder your immediate superior and I don't even know what they'll do to you." He leaned back and smiled as the flames vanished and the room warmed just the slightest bit, "Actually, we've had would-be traitors before. Inessa always sniffed them out before any serious damage was done. What happens to them is rarely pretty."

"I just want some peace and quiet, is that too much to ask? I can't think with all of your talking."

"Think? About what? I hereby order you to tell me."

"That's now how this whole lieutenant thing works, I'm fairly certain." Marie rolled her eyes and hit her head against the wall. She peered at Amadeus and watched him wind up for another joke. Before he could make it she leaned back in abruptly, "Why are you so happy? Any second we'll get word that Inessa is finally dead and you're all happy-go-lucky."

Amadeus nodded, "And you're all doom-and-gloom. So here's how I see it- You found something that proves she isn't a killer, whereas all I found was evidence that she is. Sharing is caring."

"So that's it? You're in a good mood, despite being locked up in here, because you think I found answers? You're even dumber than you look. I'm pissed because I hate Inessa more than anyone up there and instead of letting me help I'm in here with you. So why can't they make up their minds? They trust me enough to let me go with Sam's team to prove she's guilty, but they don't trust me enough to let me hunt her down?"

"Steve's protecting you. I'm the one they don't trust," he snickered. "Inessa targeted you already, declared you enemy-of-the-state. They're worried she's unhinged and will make an attempt on your life. Me? They probably think I'm the one who coded JARVIS to give Inessa a head start. She certainly didn't have the programming capabilities to do something like that herself."

"You do."

"Yes I do. And I know I went to Ellie recently to have memories removed, but I have no idea why or what I did before I went."

"So ask Ellie."

"I can't," he shrugged, "I asked her to take out a block of time. She doesn't even have to look to do that. I was smart- that way she can never tell anyone whatever it is I wanted to hide from myself. I probably _was_ the one who reprogrammed JARVIS, but I did it before Noelle even went missing, back when we were looking at blood magic. There was no reason for me to want to put blocks in JARVIS' system on my own. Inessa must have asked me to."

 _Or someone else got in there._ Marie's passing theory that Nadya might be the real culprit was something she would never vocalize, especially not to a loud-mouth like Amadeus. The plan was to speak to the leaders privately before both teams met to present their evidence for or against Inessa's supposed possession, let them decide for themselves if the evidence pointed towards either half of the Shadow specifically.

 _No point in worrying now_. She was locked in an empty office below the Avengers floors with a decommissioned comm unit embedded in her jawbone and a man who buried his angst beneath annoying quips and failed attempts at humor. _Inessa's a grown-ass woman who thinks she's some super-spy. The ball is in her court. I'm not going to give myself a headache trying to get out of here on a 'maybe' and a 'what if'. Let her handle her own problems._

"Look Marie, the truth is I'm sc-" Amadeus' once yearly attempt at being serious was cut short. A deafening siren- more worthy of a nuclear holocaust alarm- blasted through not only the speakers, but the comm units as well. He covered his ears and shouted against the trumpeting roar. He felt a shudder go through the Tower and the lights ramped up even brighter- brighter than he even knew they _could_ go.

 _WHAT THE FUCK_?! He was fairly certain he screamed it, but he couldn't hear his own voice- even WITH his ears covered.

"PROTOCOL ALPHA INITIATED," JARVIS voice rang out, official and emotionless, "PROTOCOL ALPHA INITIATED. SHADOW DETECTED. PROTOCOL ALPHA INITIATED." It repeated at top-volume without end.

 _WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!_ He managed to read Marie's lips as she screamed from the floor. Blood dripped between her fingers from where her eardrums ruptured. Whoever screwed with JARVIS' reporting protocols apparently also cranked up the volume to paralyzing levels.

The shudder oscillated throughout the Tower and Amadeus finally realized what it was- Inessa's frequency, embedded in JARVIS' siren. It was playing so loudly the entire place _shivered_ with it! His stomach clenched and he managed to get to his feet despite the pain and distortion of the blinding light and the torturous sound. Amadeus charged the door and threw his full weight against it. It was no use- it was a Tower door. Steve was probably the only one with a shot at busting through it.

Marie ran to join him but she was just as useless without her hands- and as loud as the siren still was it was bound to be pure mindless torture without at least a little protection. He wasted more time than he'd be willing to admit finding the courage to do what was necessary. They stood in front of the door, helpless, until Amadeus took several quick breaths, screamed with all the might he possessed, and shoved his hands towards Marie.

He knocked her hands off of her ears and replaced them with his, but the agony was almost too much to handle. His knees buckled as the sound drove through his head like a spike, transferring all of his pain and fear into keeping his hands firmly locked on Marie's head. She knew what he was doing, and his sacrifice made her faster. She planted her hands on the door and immediately began to draw heat from them. The metal froze solid, and as fast as she could she returned the stolen energy and then some from the room around them. It was like bending a paperclip one way and then the other very quickly. Rapidly cooling and eating the door warped the metal and made it brittle. After several tries Amadeus' eyes rolled up into his head and his hands went slack. As they fell Marie froze the door, shoved Amadeus aside, and slammed her shoulder into it as hard as she could.

Luckily it shattered. The unlucky part was that the alarm was just as loud outside, and while she covered her ears quickly she couldn't pull Amadeus along to the emergency exit- let alone repeat her trick on _that_ door, which was also certainly locked against Inessa just waltzing in from the streets. Marie tried to pin one ear against her shoulder and grab onto Amadeus with her free hand. She had no idea why she pulled him to the window, but it seemed like the best option.

As suddenly as it started, the siren stopped and the lights shut off entirely. Marie gasped- she could still hear the ringing, her skin still tingled with the vibrations of the sound, but she knew it was gone. She looked out the window and even though she saw mostly spots in the darkness of the abandoned city she was fairly certain that fast red streak was an Avenger. At least, she hoped it was.

Marie put a hand against the glass and pulled every last ounce of energy she could from it. Frozen solid, even the reinforced window broke easily. She kicked at the glass until a small opening appeared and ran back to Amadeus' side. Marie stood at the broken window and tried to will her eyes to adjust to the darkness. If she was really going to jump out of the Tower from _this_ height, she had to be damn sure someone was going to be there to catch them.

She bent down to remove Amadeus' belt and use it to bind him to her more securely- just in case it wasn't a soft catch- and an enormous shudder tipped her over and sent her- and her cargo- tumbling out into the darkness of the city.

As Marie fell backwards towards the streets of New York she saw the Avengers floors of the Tower bulge outward, pull in, and finally erupt in an explosion that shattered the glass on every building for _miles_. Flame, steel, and concrete blasted in every direction as their home was destroyed. Marie's last sight was going to be one of the worst she could imagine.

The shockwave traveled out in all directions- including down. As fast as they were falling, it slammed into Marie with more force than even a blow from the Hulk would. Just before the world went dark she thought she saw the faintest flash of silver.

* * *

A safety harness. The first time Inessa thought of it was when she reached floor 17 where the vertical ascent was one of those special kinds of hell where her arms were stretched so far above her head she could barely climb. The last time she thought of it was near the top of the ladder that would have brought Bucky's discarded arm into her line of sight.

Either Inessa's strength simply gave out or, more likely, a certain Shadow took advantage of the darkness to push down on her. In her thoroughly exhausted state it wouldn't take much to make Inessa's grip on the ladder finally snap. And it did- so she fell.

The crawlspace could hold her weight if she was crawling, but not if she was falling. The floor was supported by the top of air ducts, and so when she fell she broke not only the thin plywood, but also the aluminum square of the duct and the grating on the vent itself.

So, her covert entry into the Tower from the sewers ended with her _actually_ managing to crawl and climb over 130 floors (once the sub-basements were included) only to fall through a vent and crash loudly onto the collection of knives, daggers, and other bladed implements that remained in the armory.

Her uniform absorbed most of the nicks and scrapes when she collided with the metal table, but it did nothing for Inessa when the landing wrenched her leg and dislocated it at her hip. She screamed, but the sound was absorbed by an unholy _wailing_ that seemed to come from all around as JARVIS' siren alerted the whole damn _planet_ to her presence.

Inessa covered her ears and tried to think- down the hall, around the corner, through the lobby, down another hall and through two doors was the medical wing where there was a machine specifically built for injuries like this one. She'd never make it that far with a dislocated leg and the Tower coming to kill her. There was only one other option. Crude? Yes. Recommended? No. Painful? Yes. Did it work? In theory.

She didn't have time to waste on pain or loud noises and bright lights, Inessa hopped for it at full speed. She took deep breaths through each wave of pain. It didn't make it less agonizing, but she didn't let it overwhelm her either. Her ears she still had to cover, but adrenaline made her fast. She only had to go ten feet down the hallway to Uniform Storage, and as she ducked into the doorway she saw Castor and Maya run by, looking for the source of the alarm. It didn't go without notice the blue plastic that completely sealed off their ears- this alarm was Steve's doing. He wanted to stun her with sound and make her an easy target. She wasn't playing along.

Inessa hobbled as best she could to the back of the room where a control panel could be used to create and control any setting on all uniforms worn by the Avengers. Technology, fabric, undergarments, armor- the same technology that went into JARVIS' fabrication of the Iron Man Mach 2 Suit went into the uniform maker. Inessa waved her hand over the screen to activate it, grateful that it was one of the few things in the Tower that didn't require identification to operate.

It took less than five seconds to hit all appropriate buttons. Inessa selected her Unit from a list, selected her name from that list, and hit the "Emergency" button. A panel slid up, revealing a thick black plastic-like substance. Inessa backed into it gingerly. As soon as she touched it she was sucked in. The 'Emergency' button was for Avengers who had issues getting out of their suits (it happened more often than she ever thought it would). The black gel hardened around her in an instant- forcing her body into the exact position of her imprint. She felt her leg grind and with a shout Inessa ripped free of the plastic before the machine cut off her clothing.

 _Pop!_ She felt, rather than heard, the bone slip back into place. It was an even greater pain than she'd felt thus far, but it faded quickly and she was able to move her leg once again. _I've wasted enough time!_ Inessa still couldn't run very well between the burning in her leg and the burning everywhere else from her climb, but she felt a strange sense of urgency.

She peeked out into the hall and something caught her eye. The vents in the hallway- _all of them_ \- were _glowing_. It was the same royal blue she'd seen before when she opened up Bucky's arm. _It's happening!_

Inessa didn't care what happened to her or how painful it was. She ran down the hall as fast as she could towards the server room. Someone tackled her from the side- Maya- but she landed a few solid punches to the kidney before the young assassin could firm up her grip. She shouted into her comms- probably alerting everyone- and rolled off Inessa, knife in hand.

Inessa wasn't sure when she stopped hearing the alarm. Maya's face went white as she watched her enemy advance, but she was still willing to fight. Inessa pulled out her scythes and swung around, faking left to strike right. Maya absorbed her blow with her knife and moved to sweep Inessa's bad leg out from under her. The leader grabbed her collar and dragged her down as she fell. In a fair fight Maya would win, but she wasn't playing fair. Inessa grabbed Maya's ear as they fell and ripped out the blue stopper.

Deaf or no, that sound was designed as a paralytic in a former incarnation, and at this volume a lot of that was still there. It didn't matter what you _heard_ , it mattered what the waves made your body do, and the only way they worked was to react with your brain up-close via the ear. Maya went down just like anyone else would. She scrambled to cover her ear and when Inessa threw the blue plug away she chased after it. Inessa ran in the opposite direction.

She chose a hallway that led towards the very back of the Tower- towards Tony's lab. It had anything she'd need to get into those vents and find the arm before it went off- hopefully kill the sound too. Her leg buckled painfully and Inessa pitched against the door, _hard_. She caught herself on the lab table and glanced up into a mirror-

Half of her head was encased in black armor. _That_ was what scared Maya, _that_ was what was protecting her from the alarm. Her ears, forehead, and neck were covered, and the darkness was moving forward to cover the rest of her face. The frequency was forcing her out of the body entirely. At least, that's what she believed.

She had no time for this. Inessa kept moving towards the closet at the back of the lab. She'd cleared out most of the contents- all experiments of Tony's- but there were a few toys he'd made for Natasha still in there- grappling hooks were what Inessa was most interest in.

The door was locked, but Inessa had a way through that. She pulled out the left scythe- vibranium- and prepared to slice through the steel chain. A flash of color in the metal door caught her eye and Inessa ducked just in time to miss Steve's shield as it embedded itself in the door- pinning it closed. She turned and threw herself at his knees just as he dove for hers. The result was ideal- Inessa landed on top of Steve and before he could get a grip on her and swing her around she planted her foot firmly in his jaw.

It wasn't enough to even phase Captain America- once again she wished for super-strength, but she used the momentum to jump off of him, out of reach, and towards the door. Steve barked and order and it slammed shut- but not before she saw Clint running at her, bow drawn and tazer arrow at the ready. She would always believe he meant to shoot her- when it was really Steve he was aiming for.

The blue in the vents surged and a blast of light blew outwards. Steve kicked Inessa's leg out from under her and it was only instinct that made her throw herself to the left as the lights went out and everything went dark. Steve struck the right side, denting the floor. She felt the frequency stop and vanished in a puff of darkness, only to reappear a safe distance in front of him. He shouted wordlessly and ripped the blocks from his own ears, "I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!" he snarled, "AND I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER!"

"NO ONE DID ANYTHING TO ME!" Inessa felt the other Avengers converging on the room. With a wave of her hand they were all swept away to the street below, out of meddling distance, "YOUR HEAD IS SO FAR UP YOUR ASS YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!"

She saw the light building again, and Inessa reached out into the shadows. She felt Natasha, Thor, Banner, Tony, and Clint racing towards the room- then nothing. Steve shouted again and tackled Inessa as she hesitated. She didn't move them, so where were they? Her heart raced, then the wind was knocked out of her. She tried to wriggle away again but he kneeled on her chest with his feet on her hands- she couldn't move.

Steve yanked one of her scythes out of its sheath and drove it down into her shoulder. Inessa screamed, "NO MORE LIES!" He took a deep breath and pulled the weapon out. Steve held it over his head like a sword, blade-down, and smiled, "You're not taking any more Avengers." Black mist began to roll across his arms. Inessa's eyes went wide, but she couldn't use her own abilities- and what was happening to Steve certainly wasn't her own doing.

"NO!" she screamed as the weight began to lift from her.

"What are you doing?" Steve swung the scythe down but it passed through Inessa's throat. He tossed it aside and put his hands around her neck as if he could squeeze the life from her, but all she felt was cold. Inessa threw all of her power into holding him there, keeping whatever was pulling him at bay. The others were gone, she realized with a start- just _gone_. Inessa heard Nadya roar and the loud scrapes of her talons against the metal terrified her. Inessa was winning, she was keeping the _one_ Avenger Red Skull wanted more than anyone else!

She was too tired, too weak, and too late. Inessa couldn't pull Steve back, and she couldn't stop the other Shadow from taking him with the others, "I KNOW WHO'S DOING THIS!" she threw all of her power into shielding the room- releasing the black armor in the process, "STEVE, I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON NOW AND I SWEAR TO YOU-" her voice broke and even despite the pain and anger she felt tears fall, "I'M COMING FOR YOU ALL. OK? I. WILL. FIND. YOU. AGAIN!"

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" he shouted, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Even in the end he believed she was his enemy. Steve lunged forward again, tried to hit her, kick her, strike her- anything. Inessa lost her grip on her power and latched instead onto his mind. In an instant he was gone.

She felt him being pulled away and followed his trail as far as the Valley. It vanished into the Bifrost above. Inessa drew back into her own body and began to rock and shake on the floor.

Six years. She had six years to stop this, and all she did was show up in time to see it all destroyed. Her power fell entirely, and Nadya tackled her just in time to sweep both out of the Tower. After all of this, she wasn't about to let the girl die. Not before she and Red Skull had taken all they wanted from her.

Inessa watched the explosion from the building across the street, shielded from the shockwave by her power. She saw something fall from the window of the Tower below the destroyed floors- something the shockwave hit with incredible force. Inessa sent Nadya to save them, whoever they were.

She thought she was numb before, but she was wrong. She was angry before, and sad. _Now_ she was numb. Natasha, Clint, Steve, Thor, Tony, and Banner. The people who saved her, the people who raised her, the only family she ever truly loved- and they were just _gone_. They could be alive, dead, with Red Skull, with Emilie- _anywhere_. All because she was short sighted.

How many times had she said she was willing to die to protect her friends? If she had died- would Red Skull still have taken them? Would Emilie have been stopped before Nadya grew strong enough to open doors of her own? _Oh God_ , Inessa watched the Tower burn, _I killed them_. She saw a streak of red- Sam. Back too late to stop it.

His scream of rage and pain echoed through the streets along with the cries of the Avengers she'd saved. Inessa looked to her side where Nadya appeared, dragging Marie and Amadeus' unconscious forms. "Find Bucky," disgust made her short of breath. All Inessa wanted was to rip the wolf apart, slowly, "NOW!"

* * *

It wasn't Inessa who summoned Peter to Niflheim, it was Wanda simply using her identification code. She tried to bring Sam back to one of the facilities, but he camped out in the Tower with those Avengers who were saved the night of the explosion, just in case he missed his chance to kill Inessa. He kept Amadeus and Marie, this time in a more secure room, for added leverage.

Vision recovered Thor's hammer from the rubble, and Steve's shield. He couldn't find Inessa's cave, though, and she refused to heed the calls into shadows that usually brought her running. Two weeks- that was how long it took to make contact.

Inessa agreed to move the couple into her cavern and let them stay there with her- even though it meant Sam's army grew with those members who chose to abandon their facility without a leader to guard.

Heimdall's summons were imminent when Nadya finally signaled that she had caught on to Bucky's scent. Inessa immediately sent Vision to fetch Muhammad- Ouroborous or not it was time for him to send that vision back. It destroyed her life, ruined her chances at stopping the explosion- but without it there wouldn't even be a chance at stopping whatever Red Skull had planned.

Inessa wasn't numb anymore. All she felt was hate, anger, and disgust. It didn't matter that Wanda decided to trust her or that Vision was willing to go along with his wife. She played into Red Skull's plan. She was never meant to save the others- she was meant to be there when they vanished. A month. It took a _month_ to get a lead on Bucky. Red Skull wasn't a patient man- she'd been desperate to start her trip, to save them all and prove to Steve once and for all that she wasn't the enemy- but he probably knew that by now, if he was still alive.

Avengers Tower was gone. Her friends were gone. Wanda's trust was hardly without its doubts and conditions. They came to Inessa because they wanted to believe her- believe that she could find the Avengers leaders and bring them home. The blood tie convinced Wanda, too late, to trust what Inessa had told her all along.

It was plain as day on her face- which was why Wanda vowed to ask only one thing of Bucky before Inessa took him across the galaxy to a fight she hardly had a prayer at winning. Red Skull could die without Inessa shedding a drop of her own blood, they could rescue the Avengers and this hell could have a happy ending- but Inessa didn't intend to come back.

Red Skull broke too much. She'd already decided this was a suicide mission- not because she thought a sacrifice would be needed to assure their victory, but because even if they did win she was through with the pain, the struggle, the uncertainty, anger, fear, rage, fighting, arguing- all of it.

Sex with Bucky wasn't just a display of passion or some kind of stress relief- it was like a final meal for the condemned, just one last bit of light in the darkness. Inessa held him tight and gasped as he moved against her. For him everything was different- they were finally connecting, all secrets between them gone. For her though nothing changed. Bucky was better than she'd hoped- a brilliant and loyal partner in the fight- but the end game was still the same.

Inessa Ryker would die, and 'Project: Echo' would end at last.


	43. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: … And Bring an Army**

"Get up." A blast of ice followed Sam's words. Amadeus cracked his skull against the wall of the brig trying to scramble away from the- water? His swollen eyes made his vision blurry, but he was fairly certain the brownish blur over Sam's shoulder was Marie's hair. So, not water then, just cold, "You have a job to do, and you're going to get it done as quickly and accurately as possible." Another blur came around Sam. He felt someone touch his face. Almost immediately he was overcome with the distinctly unpleasant sensation of cartilage popping back into place and swollen flesh deflating rapidly.

"Thank you," Amadeus breathed a sigh of relief as his aches faded. Before Eoin could step back he took his enemy's hand and shook it, "tell you what- why don't you give the cactus a night off and fuck yourself with a nice lead pipe instead?"

Eoin laughed politely, then grabbed Amadeus' head and slammed his knee into the boy's nose. Amadeus screamed as it broke and sent white-hot pain lancing through his skull, "I can keep going if you'd like. I don't know if there's a cap on heals per day. Shall we find out?" he sneered as he repaired the boy's nose.

"We don't have that kind of time," Sam pulled Eoin away from Amadeus. "Tomorrow night we'll arrive at Jonathan's base of operations.

"What the hell do you think I'll do for you?"

He held out a hand and Marie stepped forward with a laptop, "You're going to write a patch for Inessa's implant. The details are in there. Now, Castor may not know how to hack the interface, but he knows a fair bit about programming languages. Once you're done, he'll check to see that you followed the checklist."

"You're going to use JARVIS to release-" Amadeus snatched the laptop away and studied Sam's criteria, "an update to Inessa's implant? Wait- this will-"

"Kill Inessa," Sam nodded, "that's kind of the plan, in case you haven't been paying attention." He tapped the laptop, "You think that's fun? Check out page 2."

Amadeus obeyed and his face fell further, "You can't make me do this. You can't force me to do anything."

"I'm a leader, you're a lieutenant," Sam reminded him, "I can make you do whatever I want."

"Not. Kill."

"Can't he?" Marie frowned, "I seem to remember you saying on Day 1 that the only rule the Avengers had was no hunting down Barnes. Even Steve broke that one."

"This will _kill_ my friend," Amadeus closed the laptop, "I refuse. I'm willing to bet she's finding proof _right now_ that they're alive- or at least that she isn't the monster you made her out to be!"

"OK," Sam put a finger on the laptop and pushed it closer to Amadeus, "I'm giving you _one more chance_ -"

"Agree or you beat me up again? Sorry, I already saw that movie."

"No," his expression became deathly serious," you're going to take a good, hard look at the pieces on the board, and then you're going to figure out which team you're on. You're going to do as you were _told_." He looked back at the laptop, "If you don't, you'll watch us kill her and Bucky- then it's your turn."

"Cold-blooded murder? You expect me to believe you're capable of-"

"Don't test me. You have one day, I suggest you get started."

"Don't test _me_ ," Amadeus muttered after the door closed again. He took a deep breath and smiled, then activated his comm unit, "JARVIS? Verify identity."

"Amadeus Cho, leader, Avengers Black Ops," as far as he knew, Sam hadn't asked JARVIS about personnel status- why would he?

"What's my override code?"

"You may choose your own code- but you are advised it cannot be changed once set."

He considered it carefully, imagined the fight he knew was coming when he'd rush out and be revealed as a leader for all to see. Sam would be seething, Travis may actually turn green with envy, and Marie- knowing that he was her _boss_ now- would be floored. But for some reason all he could picture was Geoff making fun of his proposed hero name a hundred times. Mastermind Excello... "Mastermind? Make it 'Mastermind'."

"Are you certain, Leader Cho?"

"Hell yeah."

"Override accepted. You may set as many overrides as you wish on any information _you_ input."

Amadeus' grin only grew, "JARVIS, I would like to have you take a memo. I'll talk, you type, got it?" It was a glitch in JARVIS' programming he'd always wanted to try. Theoretically a leader giving direction to JARVIS could verbally input codes that, once JARVIS saved them to his memory bank, could extend the leader's override to any system they wanted.

He typed as fast as he could, and as he typed, he absentmindedly rattled off a _second_ code to JARVIS. On its own it was harmless babble, but it gave him a very real chance to save Inessa from whatever Sam had planned.

* * *

Inessa and Bucky split their time between _exercising_ and swapping intel. She told him about Avenger fighting patterns and he told her everything he knew about Red Skull from both stints as a Hydra P.O.W. He'd seen Red Skull twice, albeit for a grand total of less than five minutes, but he had a decade or two of rambling stories from Zola he half-remembered. It was enough to paint in broad strokes.

Their best strategy was an Avengers fight style known as a 'Variable Assault'- only attack someone who is actively attacking you, "That means if anyone comes at _me_ , you ignore them. Don't split your focus. Your job is to fight for _you_ , my job is to fight for _me_. Also- try to avoid killing anyone. It'll slow us down, but in the long run safer. We don't want to kill a faceless guard only to find out we need them later." Inessa and Bucky were sitting on the bridge of the ship, watching space whip by as they moved towards their destination.

"You're referring to Hydra's tendency to turn prisoners of war into mindless killing machines?"

"We call that 'Winter-Soldiering'. Exactly. Now, you're sure Red Skull will keep any living Avengers close by?"

Bucky nodded, "Absolutely. He always liked to keep an eye on his experiments. If he's really on this base, they will be too. He wouldn't risk us somehow knowing about the other location and grabbing them while he waits."

"That would have been nice," she sighed, "OK, well, just remember- fight your own battles. I can hold my own."

"I get it. I won't blow anything by helping you. Nat trained you, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"You're good with this? Seriously?" she was more than a little worried, given the change in their relationship that he would try to do something stupid like protect her.

"I'm a professional, lover," he winked, "don't worry. You want me to fight solo in this, so I will. In case you haven't realized yet- I trust your judgement."

"Say that one more time?"

Bucky's grin was contagious, "I. Trust. Your. Judgement."

She closed her eyes and smiled wider, "Ah, that feels good."

"How far out are we?"

"Too close for more sex," she leaned forward and eyed the dash, "it's dead ahead. Should be visible soon, I th-" Inessa frowned and cocked her head to the side, "-hold on a sec." she wasn't looking at the console, it looked like she was trying to hear something.

"What?"

"I'm not sure… My eyes kind of itch. It's weird…"

"Sneeze coming on?"

"Something's out there," she looked up through the window and extended her abilities as far out as she could. The nearest sun was behind them, and the shadow their ship cast ahead helped extend her range, but only slightly. She ignored Sam's ship- it had been on her periphery for a day now as they both moved towards the base. For whatever reason he wasn't appearing on the ship's radar- Inessa had her own theories about that one, "I can almost see-" black armor exploded from her as she pushed her abilities to their absolute limit. The impression was faint, like she was looking at something small with her eyes crossed. The ship was bringing them closer, which helped her to determined just what she was looking at- "pillars?" Inessa visibly perked up, "Pillars! Six!" her jaw dropped and she counted again.

Bucky saw her eyes light up like never before, he thought he even saw a tear drip onto her lap. It didn't take a genius to guess what Inessa was seeing, "They're alive?"

Red Skull's ears on the ship must have relayed Inessa's discovery because as soon as she confirmed the number an invisible force rose and blocked the fortress from her sight. She faded back into her body and laughed, her mood unaffected, "They're alive." Inessa turned to Bucky and wiped her eyes, "All of them."

* * *

Emilie felt herself being summoned by Red Skull back into her body. She had no choice but to obey. The brat and her _toy_ were making adjustments to their strategy, she needed to stay to see what they may plot! By the end of the day the child's power would be added to her own. _That_ was the plan, and she wasn't blowing it!

She slid into the body and slowly sat up to face her master. As much as she wanted her freedom from being a slave in purgatory she wasn't comfortable back in her own flesh. It felt too thick, to uncoordinated, too _alien_ \- and that had little to do with the non-human elements he used in reconstructing her body. Her movement was jerky, she didn't have the muscle or training to hold up in a fight outside of her wolf-form, and the ridiculous gauzy black gown Red Skull had provided her for this occasion gave little warmth.

He held out a hand and helped her from the pedestal the body was kept on. He had his false face secured, meaning he'd spoken with Sam, "The Avenger ship is too close. Our plans must be adjusted."

Her heart sank and Emilie let out a low growl. Her mouth was too unfamiliar, but she could convey much with her limited abilities. Changing plans this late in the game was dangerous. Too dangerous- the child was to fight through her old allies one-by-one. By the time she was finished her own physical exhaustion would have her primed for Emilie to pull _her_ from her body and enslave the child as her corpse was locked away- just like she had with Emilie! Everything left of Inessa would die as her mother seized her weakened mind and her powers.

"We have already won, one last adjustment will do no harm," Red Skull didn't appreciate having to explain himself, but Emilie was worth the inconvenience. "I allowed her a peek to give her hope, draw her in. Instead of _them_ fighting her, Sam will. He and his Avengers will prove their worth. Those strong enough will go into my collection. The others die. After I conquer the Realms they will be installed as my generals, my _Children_ , and I will succeed where Thanos failed."

Emilie would comply with his wishes, but she knew he wasn't telling her the truth of his plan. He was using Sam's rage to destroy Inessa, when the rage she'd cultivated was more than enough. She made it clear to him what she was thinking with a snarl.

"You're smart," he sighed happily, "Inessa fights Sam- if something goes wrong we have the rage _you_ cultivated in our _friends_ downstairs to sic upon her. If she fights _them_ first and whatever traitor she believes she may have on Sam's team defends her, we have no backup. You know what happened to Thanos- a single hero. That's all it took to fell him, the inhuman Quake. You've crawled inside the minds of my first batch of _Children_ ," he leered, "I trust them to finish the job."

Red Skull leaned back on his throne and hardened his expression, "Now, we shall discuss your role in the fight. You get to kill an Avenger, and put the final nail in your daughter's coffin."

* * *

"No more sabotage, no more screw-ups, and no more letting those _bastards_ slip through our fingers!" Sam addressed his Avengers on the deck of the ship with Berny at his side, "Jonathan Smith put himself at incredible personal risk for us, the least we can do to repay him is end this chase. He will draw our enemies in and hold them until we arrive to finish the job. Ellie, if you please?"

The small girl stepped away from the group and spoke softly, "I will be looking into each of your minds in turn. Please, do not try to hide anything. Everyone must be an open book. I won't discuss anything private or personal, you have my word." She stepped up to the closest Avenger- Kelsey- and put her hands on the other girl's head.

"Ellie's job is to make sure you all have what it takes to wipe our enemies out. So long as you're on the same page as us, you're fine," he glared at each in turn, "but if you have a single doubt you will be pulled. I intend to rip out that bitch's throat and watch her drown in her own blood, I'm not letting anyone get in the way of that."

She went around the room slowly, searching. Eoin's examination took the longest by far, but with Marie and Berny she barely required a glance. Twice Ellie held up her hand- once over Travis, the next time over Geoff. Sam frowned at the second and she drew a finger across her chest as a signal. A broken heart from the one who lost his love to this rampage, was it any surprise? Traitor, spy, or innocent victim- until they knew what she was Noelle would never be honored with a black statue at the base of the Tower. Sam's job- any leader's job really- was to make sure Geoff wouldn't join her on some memorial.

"Geoff, Ellie's worried you're too close to this," Sam announced as the girl returned to her spot by Kelsey, "she thinks you're not focused enough on the fight to stay in control."

"That's a load of bullshit," Geoff snapped.

Sam wasn't about to let it go, "You're the most motivated, but if you let your anger and pain cloud your judgement it could get you- or us- killed... But I'm not about to take this away from you," Ellie shook her head but Sam ignored her, "You're only a loose cannon if you let yourself become one. You've been an Avenger too long to fuck yourself over. Remember your job in this fight. Don't be stupid- no matter what." He turned to Castor, "You're in charge of watching him. If Geoff seems unstable, pull him out before anyone gets hurt." Sam next addressed Travis, "You're out? What changed?"

Travis shook his head, "Nothing. I'm still with you, but I asked Ellie to do that. Between Inessa and Bucky- even if Jonathan gets our frequency to work- _someone_ from our side will be seriously wounded and- no offense- but I don't trust Eoin. I was there when Thanos attacked, remember? He's killed more Avengers than Inessa by far. I wouldn't believe him if he said the Earth was round, let alone believe he's really with us on this. I want to be on standby, free to save your asses when he fucks us over."

"I made a deal, I don't back out," Eoin didn't rise to Travis' words, he'd heard them all already.

"You made a _deal_ to save people as an Avenger, you backed the hell out of that one and killed our friends in the process. Let's ask Mallory Ivaneau how long your _deals_ last."

"You wanna go?"

"ENOUGH!" Sam ended it before they could fight in earnest. Eoin and Travis swapped dirty looks, then backed down, "Travis, all we're talking about is your request to be released from the fight itself so you can be on standby as medic. Request granted." Travis nodded, "I'm adding to that though. I want Amadeus there, front and center, to see Inessa fall. You'll guard him, make sure he doesn't sabotage us in some way. If he's left on this ship I'm sure he'll screw us over somehow."

Sam turned his focus back to Eoin, "You will be under Marie's supervision. If you play us, she'll burn your insides out, slowly. We'll help you find out if there's a healing limit. Any Avenger who has a problem with him on our team can take up their grievances with me _after this is over_. Understood?!" No one spoke up, so Sam nodded, "Start choosing who hits Inessa and who takes Barnes out," he glanced at the dash of the ship, "you have an hour."

* * *

The fortress was bigger than even Bucky expected. Like Berny's, it was a space station orbiting a brilliant red star. Unlike Berny's it was the size of a large city. Spires grew out of a massive spoked base that glowed with a light eerily reminiscent of tesseract technology. Thick, boxy towers reeked of military headquarters while taller, more delicate towers were most likely living space for Red Skull's elite.

Hangers, training grounds, workshops, refineries, prisons, barracks- Inessa could only guess at the function of each building as their ship traveled towards the tallest tower at the center of the base. Everything appeared to be shut down and abandoned, but even with the frequency blocking her abilities she could still _feel_ the life around them. It was all just a show to lure them in (or, more accurately, Sam).

"Grab everything," a dock appeared before them and Inessa stood up to check her uniform once more, "I don't think we'll be getting a chance to come back once we've stepped off. Don't forget anything."

Bucky adjusted the straps on his uniform and double checked his weapons, "We can't search this whole place. We need to find Red Skull, kill the frequency, and then you use your power to get Steve and the others. We'll worry about subduing them once we have someone to subdue."

"I can't access the Valley but-" Inessa managed a second-long burst of black armor, "I won't be able to hold it too long without tiring, but it can take a hit in an emergency."

"Use it sparingly then, fatal blows only," Bucky slid a hand to the back of Inessa's neck and pulled her into a long, slow kiss. She held on to him to memorize everything- his smell, the feel of his skin, the warmth of his body, the taste of his mouth. Reluctantly they broke the connection and Bucky breathed in the smell of her hair one last time, "OK," he straightened up, his voice husky, "From now on we each fight for ourselves, as requested. Be careful Nessie."

"You too," she checked her scythes, tightened the band holding back her hair, and nodded, "Let's do this."

* * *

Inessa's mood shifted as their ship docked. She ran scan after scan of the base outside, looking for guards or automated weaponry. Bucky's instincts told him she was dragging her feet, "Sam's ship is getting closer every second," he reminded her, "we need to get to the Avengers _before_ him to avoid being hit in the crossfire."

"Red Skull will plant himself if our way. You know he will."

"Well, according to you _both_ of us were lured here, so he won't kill us before we're even through the door. Anything we can get done before we have to fight Sam could help us in the long run."

"I know…" she glanced at the radar. Sam was barely fifteen minutes out, "OK, let's go." She stood and followed Bucky off of the ship.

He covered her as she made for a metal grate that jutted out from beside the door and provided basic defense. From her vantage point she could see into the station far enough to know the door wasn't guarded (which her scans would have shown anyways). She waved to Bucky and he jogged over. No sooner had he taken cover than a turret rose up in front of them armed with what was unmistakably a gun, on industrial scale. Bucky turned and pinned Inessa against the wall. He looked for a way to endure a direct hit, but the turret spun around. Instead of shooting _them_ , it opened fire on their ship. Just as the beam hit a bright red shield snapped up from the dock, preventing any debris from hitting the pair on the dock.

"So much for radar."

"My apologies. My master would prefer if this location remained secret."

Bucky whipped around as a man stepped out of the shadows of the base, "So much for radar," it was his turn this time to speak. A short, grey man stood before them in long robes with a strange golden _thing_ on his head- not quite helmet, not quite hat. He looked like some cross between a German soldier, ancient Lord, and space-monster. Bucky was fairly certain he was looking at a nest of spaghetti-sized tentacles, not a beard. The creature had large, bright-yellow eyes and purple lips, "I think we have a fish on our planet that looks like you."

"Marvelous, I look forward to meeting it," the man's pleasant tone belied clear intelligence. There was a sliver of ice in his gaze that reminded Bucky of Sebastian Morris. They'd only met once, when Dennisson was torturing him, but that look was clear as day, "I ask that you do not perceive this," he nodded to the wreckage of the ship floating just beyond the shield, "as a sign of aggression. As I said, my master would prefer if the location of this base were to remain secret. Towards that end, we destroy any ship which enters our airspace. Should you require one upon your departure, Section 17 is suited for production of interstellar aircraft."

"You sent that ship for us to use, didn't you?" Inessa stepped out slightly from behind Bucky.

"Indeed," he smiled, "was it to your liking?"

"A ship stocked with supplies for Midgardians, with simple controls we could learn on the fly?" she glanced to Bucky, "There aren't enough of us off Earth yet for something like that to just _happen_ to be on the Collector's ship. Tell me, how did he ensure Peter chose that particular vessel?" she knew _exactly_ how- Emilie. A whisper in Peter's mind as he looked at the inventory outside of the battle zone.

"That is not for me to say. Please, follow me." He smiled and held out a hand to usher them from behind the grate and towards the entrance to the station, "Your enemies will be arriving soon. They have already begun to angle this way," small metal contraptions began to buzz through the wreckage of the ship, clearing it away. "You must see my master and petition his good graces in order to survive."

Inessa looked to Bucky, "Yeah, sure," he nudged her in front of him, "you take the lead. I'll cover you from behind and keep an eye on that thing."

"My master blessed me with the name of Mercury."

"The Messenger," Inessa glanced back at Bucky as she followed, "good to know he's still fond of mythology. Tell me, how does he feel about Odysseus? I always thought he was a dick, personally."

"The hero who preyed on the sentimentality of his enemies? I believe my master takes much inspiration from his stories."

"I get it, he knew we'd keep Bucky's old arm, so he found a way to weaponized it." Inessa grumbled, "Don't forget, the Trojans kicked the Greek's collective asses."

"Eventually." Mercury smiled, "But as I recall it took a thousand years, and by then they called themselves _Roman_ , not Trojan."

"Well, I'm working on an abbreviated timeline." Inessa pulled out a scythe and tossed it into the air. The weapon flipped once before she caught it under-handed.

Bucky grabbed her arm as she slashed at the man's head. He managed to stop the blow inches before it connected. Mercury looked more amused than anything, "I suggest you heed your _handler's_ warning," the gray creature smiled broadly, "drawing my master's ire is not in your best interest."

"Inessa, this isn't how you want to handle the situation," Bucky let go of her wrist and suddenly lashed out and grabbed the man's 'beard' in his metal hand. He yanked at it and Mercury let out a yelp, "Listen _worm_ , I know a thing or two about how Red Skull runs his people. Your job is to _shut up_ and take us where he wants. I suggest you heed _my_ warning and try to get us there with as little _ire_ as possible. Or I'll see what happens when I pull just a little bit harder."

He let go and Mercury jumped back, shaking. He traced the tentacle-things lightly, inspecting for damage, "These are for reproduction in my species," he half-whimpered, half-snapped.

Inessa raised an eyebrow, but Bucky kept his expression cold, "You act like it would be my first castration." Now she was as amused as Mercury had been a moment ago, "Apologize to the lady, shut your trap, and walk. Or we can find our own way."

"You deserve what's coming." he grumbled before giving a jerky nod to Inessa, "My apologies, _Lady_." He glared at Bucky as if daring him to strike, then promptly strode away, "Follow me."

 _How many men have you castrated?_ Inessa mouthed, she didn't remember hearing about Hydra's M.O. going quite that far.

The ice melted from Bucky's eyes and he winked, _That would be my first_.

* * *

"Miss Ryker! It is so nice to finally meet you. Oh, and Sergeant Barnes! You look well!" Red Skull- in full Schmidt mode- stood with arms wide open to greet the two as they were escorted into his throne room. With a flick of his wrist he dismissed Mercury and the three were closed in together. Golden walls, a silver floor- it was made to impress. Even _Odin's_ throne room hadn't made Bucky feel so small. It was strange to think this place existed on a space station.

"You should hire someone to fix that," Bucky pointed to a cracked section of flooring rather than continue to gape like a fool.

Red Skull wasn't bothered by the criticism of his domain, "Noelle caused that, silly child. I like it, in a way it is as if she were still with us." He smiled warmly to the side and held up his hand. A section of the wall slid away and a woman entered with half a dozen guards at her back. Silky black hair practically flowed behind her as she walked to Red Skull's side. Inessa's skin tingled- when paired with the gossamer of her gown it looked like shadows were trailing her. When she faced them Inessa was actually struck by the woman's face. Her inhuman eyes weren't enough to distract from the uncanny resemblance between the two women in the room. Or the resemblance she bore to Nadya. So that was it- Red Skull gave Emilie Ryker a body.

"So _you_ killed Noelle?" Inessa broke eye contact with her mother and feigned disinterest in the new addition to the throne room.

"Yes, slowly," he waited for Emilie to sit before returning to his own throne.

"What was she to you?" Bucky demanded. Inessa suspected an agent, but-

"My daughter." _There it is._

Bucky smiled, "I made your daughter go _splat_."

Red Skull actually glared a bit at that, "Sin was over-eager. Noelle was perfect. I could not have asked for a more _competent_ child." He smiled to Bucky, "I owe you thanks for that, actually. IT was the serum Zola tested on _you_ that was used in her _ascension_. Sin was of Erskine-stock. No wonder she failed."

"Ascention?" Inessa smirked, "So you're really into this whole god-thing, huh?"

"What else would you call something more than human?"

"Aesir? Vanir?" Inessa shrugged, "Pick a Realm."

"You say _Inhuman_ , _Gifted_ , _Enhanced_ , but you're wrong. It should be _Divine_."

"Good to know your ego's survived all this time." Inessa nodded to her mother, "Who's the wench?"

"Every God must have a Goddess," Red Skull took her hand and kissed it. "I have chosen her as mine. Meet my Eris."

Inessa wasn't convinced _now_ was the time to drop the act. Not before the fight had even begun. Besides, if Red Skull destroyed Sam's ship too… "Nice to meet you. Tell you what- my fight is with him, not you. I promise I'll limit my kills. I know a nice place you can stay for safekeeping while I sort through his miss. Call it a _Valley_ ," she took some satisfaction at the barely contained disgust on her mother's face.

"Speaking of business-" Bucky kept his focus on Red Skull, "where are the others?"

"What others?"

"You know exactly who he means," she turned back to her real enemy.

Red Skull hit his forehead as if he'd forgotten, "Ah, the Avengers? I'm afraid they're not quite available at the moment. Mental cleansing and all- you remember how tediously slow it could be, Sergeant Barnes."

"So what, you're making them your _Children_?" Bucky hissed, "That's the end-game, right? You want to be the next Thanos? You of all people should know that the _cleansing_ doesn't wash everything away. Look what happened to Hydra."

"My forces on Earth are weak without my guidance," Red Skull agreed, "but I have learned from past mistakes. That is why I made sure you came along with the Ryker child. Mental cleansing has its limits, true. A strong enough push can wake up the individual. I've decided to save my Avengers, as I will you, to create the lords of my forces. Once Earth is conquered and dashed to ruin I intend to set my sights on the nine Realms- territory even Thanos could not conquer. Each Avenger will rule and entire realm in my name once I'm done- but they will never meet, and there will be no Earth, no _friends_ for them to return to."

He smiled at the look on Bucky's face, "Thanos knew this too. He took a child from every planet he conquered and made them into his weapons. They never saw their homes again, and they never turned on him. Your friends are _dead_."

"I came back," Bucky stood a little bit taller, "they will too."

"What Hydra did to you was akin to children playing at hypnosis. It is a shame you will die today Inessa, you will not see what he will become. I know how you must miss your Winter Soldier. Oh James, how you will burn. I can imprison you in your own body so that you _watch_ what you are doing and you feel the _horror_ of your situation. Perhaps, after a century or two, I will let you die and him live on. By then, of course, none in the galaxy will remember the Ryker whelp, none but you."

"That's eight," Inessa counted it off on her fingers, "you, Bucky, Steve, Tony, Thor, Banner, Clint, and Natasha. There are _nine_ realms, and I doubt you'll leave Loki in charge of Asgard."

"My bride wishes for Midgard," Red Skull sighed dramatically, "how could I refuse her? I will take Asgard as my prize. It is more suited to my tastes- as you can see." He held up a hand before Inessa could continue their discussion, "I'm afraid that is all the stalling I am prepared to do today. Before I kill your friends, rest assured I _will_ rid your name of the stain of guilt. I want to see that realization before they die, knowing they killed their would-be savior." Red Skull pressed something on his throne and a quick ripple of light shot up from the steps to the ceiling, followed by a soft _hum_ , "Now, I've always been fond of gladiatorial combat. Do you know what that means?"

"GET DOWN!" Bucky and Inessa dove in opposite directions mere seconds before the doors opened and a spray of bullets, fireballs, and arcs of light announced the arrival of Sam's forces.

"H-h-help!" Schmidt's squeal of mock-fright was almost lost as the Avengers identified their targets and split up for the attack.

Bucky ducked one of Berny's arrows and dove to the side. There was no cover in the room (clearly Red Skull's plan) and so he had to find a _human_ shield. Someone he could fight _around_ without having to fight directly- _perfect_.

Berny, Raj, and Maya were clearly on his trail. Anyone else with ranged abilities locked onto Inessa in an instant. She threw herself into the middle of the mob, using Geoff, Castor and Sam as cover against Ellie, Marie, and Kelsey- each of whom needed a solid target.

Bucky risked combining their fights to snatch Ellie away but Kelsey intercepted him immediately. She slashed her sword across the room and a blast of energy knocked everyone to the ground for a moment- but it did the job. The fight was clearly divided and Bucky didn't risk the wall of power for another go. Kelsey shoved Ellie towards the now-closed doors.

Before he dodged yet another arrow and deflected blows to his ribs from Maya Bucky caught sight of Amadeus. The boy was on his knees with his hands folded behind his head. The remote Iron Man suit stood to one side of him, Travis watched the battle on the other side- a pistol was pointed straight at his _friend's_ head.

Raj, invisible little bastard, planted himself in Bucky's path and the assassin lost his footing. Maya nearly pinned him down, but Bucky locked his legs together and slammed his heels into her sternum with enough force to crack her ribs and launch her back into Berny.

Kelsey evidently got her clean shot of Inessa, because she slashed the blade and sent another wave of energy at the girl. Inessa caught it with her shield, but lost control of the rebound. The beam went wide and took out a chunk of the ceiling.

A shockwave of ice slammed into her as she absorbed hits to the kidneys from Eoin. Her black armor exploded and talons erupted from her hands as the shields dropped. Red Skull faked a wail of panic as the transmitter flickered out for a moment. It came on and off, infrequently enough to screw Inessa over in her fight, but never long enough for her to track her sense of the Avengers back to a specific location.

Nadya appeared on the far end of the room and dove for Inessa. She glanced to the dais and noticed Emilie was limp. Inessa saw her flickering in and out of sight- making a bee-line for Geoff. If Emilie killed him in the guise of Nadya-

Inessa threw herself at Geoff and let his knife slide into her shoulder. She didn't waste her strength on preventing the blow, she threw everything into a shield. There was no way to test it without raising suspicion before, not she had to pray it was enough to hold back a shadow.

Sam didn't understand Inessa's intention, but he did see that she was distracted, "JARVIS, NOW! ACTIVATE THE CODE!"

She felt something writhe under her skin and Inessa fell to one knee. She pulled her defenses up to full strength to protect herself as something began to burn. Amadeus glanced to the gun in Travis' head. He was willing to die for this, he was sure of it, "JARVIS! MASTERMIND OVERRIDE ALPHA! RUN SUB-ROUTINE SIX!" his line of code activated instantly and the sensation stopped. Inessa threw herself backwards to regain her advantage as Kelsey and Marie in tandem shattered her shield with another blow.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Sam broke away from the fight for only a moment to try and regain control of whatever JARVIS was supposed to be doing, "JARVIS! OVERRIDE THAT!"

"One leader cannot override another. Only Mister Rogers has that authority." The computer's voice was almost lost in the din of battle. Maya apparently had no problem with broken ribs and had resumed her assault on Bucky. Berny pulled a tazer-arrow and caught his metal arm. The old arm would have been at least damaged by it, but Tony's new one just _hurt_.

"THAT'S BULLSHIT!"

"Don't like the game?" Amadeus dared a taunt, "Change the rules."

"YOU IDIOT!" Sam whistled sharply, "KELSEY, CASTOR, GEOFF- TAKE BARNES DOWN!" Two peeled off immediately to follow their leader's order, but Geoff hesitated.

Inessa saw Nadya winding up for another pass and once again she was forced to absorb a blow (this time from Eoin) to save his ass. Castor tackled Inessa as she dove for his friend, but she took advantage of the very same fluctuation that set Nadya loose and vanished through a portal, immediately appearing several feet away.

The boy charged back towards Bucky and set himself on one side of the Winter Soldier. Kelsey wound up and slashed at him with her sword. The blade connected with his arm and combined with the blast of light and power to send him spiraling across the room and into the door behind Amadeus. Travis didn't seem to know what to do, "ELLIE- AMADEUS!"

She bore down on him with all her power as Travis kicked him forward to secure his own footing. Bucky was dazed long enough for Berny to move into place and Travis to add insult to injury. By the time he figured out which way was up, he was surrounded. Geoff appeared behind him and held a blade at his throat.

"INESSA RYKER!" Geoff shouted, "DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION YET?" Inessa blasted Nadya back into the Valley and slammed the doors. The distraction opened it up for Sam to fire. The shot hit her in the thigh and as Inessa went down Marie aimed a fireball for her face. She couldn't split her focus any further- Inessa kept the Valley sealed and instead held up her wrist. The fireball deflected off of her arm guard, but not without superheating the metal. Inessa hacked through the bindings with her scythe and shouted in pain as the white-hot metal took skin with it.

Eoin was behind her, and Inessa could not lift her shield as long as she kept her mother locked away. She saw Bucky fly across the room and turned in time to see Eoin's own blade come down on her. She held up her scythe to intercept the attack, but he spun, caught her other wrist in his hand, and managed to twist his blade at the last moment. Instead of hitting the handle of the scythe, the metal bit into the flesh and muscle of her wrist. Inessa roared and twisted away, but her arm was saved- all thanks to Tony's embedded reservoir for her anti-venom.

Geoff's shout echoed through the room. Sam stopped and glanced back, as did Eoin. Castor was beside Geoff now, holding Bucky's metal arm out away from his body. Travis, Berny, Geoff and Kelsey had weapons trained on him. Ellie released Amadeus and he spun around. There was nothing he could do.

"Don't hurt him!" Inessa stepped forward, "Do what you want to me. Just don't hurt him."

"Castor, come here," Sam turned back to her and smiled slightly. She could see that he was shaking badly. Her wounds burned and her heart trembled as Castor released Bucky's arm and followed his leader's command. The pressure Inessa felt from keeping Nadya locked away vanished and the frequency flooded the room once again. She didn't look, but she could tell from the rustle of a gown beside her that Emilie had returned to her body.

"INESSA FIGHT!" Bucky threw himself back into Geoff but Raj quickly reappeared and trained another gun on him. Geoff was merely disgruntled as he hit the wall. His knife left a long, thin cut on Bucky's neck.

"STAND DOWN!" she commanded. Her voice was breathless, weak. She was giving up to give him a chance. It was time for her to play the last card, the one she'd kept up her sleeve for so, so long, "Let this end it," tears slid from her eyes as Castor grabbed her roughly by her wounded shoulder. Eoin held a blade under her chin and waited for Sam to advance, "PROMISE ME!" she accidentally let out a sob that echoed in the room. She'd never been more scared in her life, "THIS ENDS IT! HE GOES HOME!"

It was impossible to say who was shaking more- Inessa from fear, or Sam from rage. He finally won, he finally would get his revenge, "Hold her steady." Castor tightened his grip on Inessa, confused. Sam wrapped his hand around the implant on the back of her neck. Eoin smiled wickedly and took her hair in his other hand. He used her ponytail to jerk her head forward, giving Sam full access. His muscles locked and he held Inessa's head firmly against his chest.

"NO!" Bucky could feel the word rip its way out of his throat. He could hear it ringing in his ears. He could feel the air rushing from his lungs- but even the Avengers who threw themselves on him to pin him back as Sam ripped the implant from Inessa's neck felt like nothing. He was detached from his body, in shock.

Blood splashed across Sam's face and Inessa's body fell forward as he yanked out the anchoring lines that wound through her spinal column, severing all feeling and control of anything below the neck. The device didn't even have time to do much damage, just as it hadn't when Bucky made the same move years before. The only difference was that Tony redesigned this unit- it was laced through her brachial, carotid, and basilar arteries.

Inessa felt something cold go through her lungs, then they stopped working too. Sam pulled the device free, just about severing Inessa's head in the process. He threw it aside and the bloodied unit skid to a stop on the ground near Amadeus. Bucky's scream faded and silence reigned. Red Skull's eyes glowed with a manic energy.

"Lift her head," Sam panted the words and wiped blood from around his mouth. No one moved. No one spoke. Sam stood over the body of someone who had been a traitor, an Avenger, and a Leader. The immensity of the moment hit them all. Kelsey and Raj pulled away from the pile around Bucky and turned their heads away from the bloody sight, "LIFT! HER! HEAD!" his shout echoed through the room as Sam rounded on Eoin. He dropped his voice to a low growl, "Do what I say or I swear to god I'll rip you limb from limb."

He was out of control, almost feral in his tone. Eoin glared at the man and stood his ground a moment more before he stepped back towards the body reluctantly. Castor, still in shock, held her up with one arm. He hoisted her slightly higher. Eoin grabbed the back of her neck- right in the center of the horrific damage and jerked her head up. She was, incredibly, still struggling for air. Her spine was severed, arteries torn, esophagus garroted, and still she gurgled blood. Eoin squeezed the raw mess and her eyes fluttered open for a moment. She wouldn't last more than a few seconds longer.

"I have only one thing to say to you and I've been waiting _months_ to say it-" he pulled something out of his pocket and held it up for Inessa to see. Once her eyes focused on it his shivering rage softened. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again he managed a soft smile, "Message received." He turned away from her, clenched his fist around the object, then took another deep breath. When he released it all signs of tremors were gone, "Catch." His voice was pleasant as he tossed the object lightly to Schmidt.

His shield snapped down in time for him to snatch the item out of the air. He glanced down at the small bottle, weary, and wiped blood from the label, "A spice jar?"

"Cinnamon," Sam confirmed. "Do you know what that means?"

"I don't care." Red Skull tossed the bottle aside. The Avengers slid away from Bucky and all stood. Travis held out a hand and pulled the stunned man to his feet. Amadeus' jaw just about hit the floor. His eyes weren't on Sam, they were on Inessa. Bucky followed his gaze and choked.

"You _should_ care," Sam slowly walked towards Red Skull, "because it has a very special meaning."

"Which is?" Red Skull raised an eyebrow. Only the woman by his side looked nervous.

"Turn on me." Sam smiled darkly at the voice that echoed through the room and stepped back, "Come after me." He held out his hand and a woman's appeared in it, "Hunt me." Eoin turned away as Inessa stepped out from behind Sam, whole once again thanks to his work and without the collar, thanks to Sam, "Trust me." She glanced at the Avengers around them. They each nodded in turn (Except for Amadeus, who was still sitting with his mouth wide open), even Marie. She winked at Bucky before turning back to Red Skull, "And bring an army."


	44. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: Six Years Ago, the Ruins of Clint's Farm – Menno, South Dakota**

"You should have returned with the others, you are too weary," Thor put a hand on Inessa's shoulder, partly to comfort, partly to steady the swaying teen.

Inessa shook her head as she watched the tiny speck that was Steve's suit fading in the distance, "I had to wait until he was gone. He can't see."

"See what?"

Inessa took a deep breath and stood up. The other two followed her to the chasm's edge. She slowly raised her hands in the shadowy dawn. There was a _crack_ of thunder, a flash of shadow, and suddenly the crater was filled with half-rotted, half-smashed, stinking corpses. Nearly 100. "Hydra," she explained.

Thor just nodded, "It was a good decision to keep this from him."

"Let's not tell him for a month or two," Sam put a hand on Inessa's shoulder.

"A _year_ or two," Thor suggested after a moment. They'd all seen Morris' body.

Inessa just nodded, "It's from _before_ , I promise."

"We believe you, Nessie." Sam squeezed her hand, "It's alright."

"Pardon me sirs, Lady, but all suits are now functional," JARVIS announced via comms.

Sam moved his hands to Inessa's shoulder, holding her in place, "Thor, why don't you go ahead? I think we need a moment here."

Thor clapped Sam on the back (as if he needed any more bruises) and offered a gentle hug to the girl, "You were very brave today, friend. You should take pride in this victory."

They waited as he squeezed into a remote suit (evidently the 1400 miles from Menno to NYC was a bit far for the exhausted demi-god) and launched. Only when they were alone did Sam let go of Inessa and walk over to a section of the porch that remained intact. He swept away debris- most of it from the kitchen explosion- and sat, then patted the wood next to him. Inessa sat obediently, "Can we get some privacy JARVIS?"

"Going into sleep mode now, sir."

"How is Nadya? She holding up alright?" he was making small talk as he tried to work out what he _really_ wanted to say.

Inessa touched her friend's mind and felt her shun away from the contact, "She's sad, I think. She has been since the fight ended." Inessa gave her the solitude she wanted and sealed off the Valley securely. She wasn't sure how the wolves would behave, now that they'd tasted Asgardian blood, and she wasn't risking them going off on some rampage. Nadya was too despondent to care.

Sam gestured to the wreckage around them and opened his mouth. After a moment he dropped his hand with a sigh, "Nessie, I don't know what to say here."

She must have thought he was referring to the pit of corpses, "I'm sorry," she hung her head, "please- _please_ don't make me leave."

He glanced over and put an arm across her thin shoulders, "That's not what I meant." _I'm sorry Steve, but screw you_ , "There's something we weren't supposed to tell you, but if all this has taught me anything it's how much secrets cost." So he told her what none of the other Avengers would- the truth. He told her about Bucky's vision. How she was destined to stand in the ruins of Avengers Tower and face him one day, hopefully very far off, "The thing is, I refuse to believe you'll hurt any of us. It's that simple. You used to go to the public library, right?"

"For the heat and the air conditioning. Sometimes they had food," her stomach rumbled slightly and she fidgeted, "sometimes just to disappear in the books for a little bit."

"What kind of books? Hero stories?" she nodded and he smiled, "Those are my favorite too… In those stories, every time there is a vision or a prophecy it turns out to be something different than what everyone thinks. He had two others- they were just the same. Never what he thought they were. I choose to believe that's what will happen here too. We haven't really known you all that long, but you're part of our family now. There's no arguing that."

"I won't let them get hurt, _ever_."

Sam thought about it for a moment, then held out his hand, "Right, so let's make a deal."

"What?"

"If you think that's coming- the Tower being destroyed- tell me. We'll find a way to stop it, or fake it, or whatever it takes."

"No," Inessa took his hand, but she was more serious than he'd seen her before, "we should make a code. That way if we can't talk we still have a way to plan."

Sam laughed and released her hand to lean back on his elbows, "Alright! That sounds fun, a secret code!"

She was already seriously considering it. Sam didn't know she'd shared Bucky's vision, and she already had ideas of her own, "If someone is making me do it…" she looked around as she thought, then picked up a chunk of a broken spice jar, "Oregano."

"Ok!" Sam's laugh was louder, "If someone frames you?"

"Um," galvanized, she grabbed another bit of debris from the kitchen explosion, "Paprika!"

At this point he was having fun instead of taking their conversation seriously, humoring the girl, "OK, but what if you're being set up by someone like Morris- someone with friends? What's the code for 'bring backup'?" he joined her in looking through the debris, "Here- cinnamon."

Inessa thought of something, "Paprika or cinnamon- if I do either one you should pretend you don't trust me. That way, if there is a bad guy, they won't know you're helping me. They'll think you're on their side or something."

"Deal!"

His laugher and easy manner sent a flicker of worry through her, "I was being serious…"

Immediately he sobered, "Me too, Nessa. I promise. Oregano- I'm losing control. Paprika- I'm being set up. Cinnamon- same as paprika, but bring an army."

She nodded and held out a hand, they shook on it, "And we don't talk about it ever again. Never. The only way to keep it secret is if _no one_ knows. Someone could overhear and we'd lost any chance to help. And if you turn on me, make it look real. Don't be afraid to hurt me."

"That I would never do," his voice was almost a growl.

"You might have to. It's ok."

"Let's not talk about that anymore, ok? Joke's over," Sam couldn't imagine hurting the 16 year-old. She'd already been through too much, "I can be your enemy without being like _them_." He pointed to the pit.

"If someone's willing to kill them and destroy our home, we should be willing to play the parts we have to."

Sam couldn't deter her, so instead he changed the subject, "So, how will I know you're using the code and not just making pizza or something?"

"I don't know… I'll think of something obvious."

"OK. So, when does the silence pact start?"

"Um… Now?"

"Now." He zipped his lips and threw the "key" into the pit with the bodies. They sat together a little longer before flagging the suits and heading back to New York for a well-deserved breakfast and at least a day of sleep each.

Inessa couldn't know, over the next six years, if Sam really remembered the conversation, if he'd remember what the codes meant, or- more frightening- if he'd honor his promise when the time came.

* * *

 **Six Years Later**

Sam hadn't slept properly in a long time- basically ever since they got word of Inessa's capture in Niflheim. He felt like he was living on a live wire. It wasn't the first time things had gotten ugly, but instinctively he knew it would be the last.

When Thanos killed their friends and Steve forced Inessa to let Eoin O'Meara live she'd grown dark in a way he believed would end in their ruin. Every meal he dreaded, analyzed, and agonized over. Was there too much oregano in the pizza sauce, or was it just a measuring error? Did the burgers have paprika in them for flavor, or as a warning? Did Inessa _mean_ to make her cinnamon apple bread to cinnamon-ie? Every Avenger took turns cooking, most of the time she hadn't even worked on the stress-inducing dish, but if she wanted to they'd be easy enough to augment.

Their agreement was to never speak of the code again, the reality made him hate every second. But Thanos fell, the Tower was rebuilt, the world returned to its _normal_ level of insanity, and they moved on.

Now though- now he could feel the shadow of that promise on his _soul_. Inessa would deliver her code soon, he could feel it. The question was- did he trust her enough to do as she asked? True, Sam was fresh on his way back from moving Tony's anti-shadow weapon, but things were stacking up. Blind trust- it was a lot to ask of someone who's faith was already shaken to the core.

 _No it isn't,_ he stopped at the edge of Central Park and looked up at the Tower in the distance, _not for an Avenger. Not for family._

Twenty days later it certainly _felt_ like too much to ask though. Inessa was scared, she _knew_ something. Even if she couldn't tell what precisely happened to her teammate she wasn't oblivious- it would be ugly, brutal, and no doubt lead directly to her. Sam had _begged_ her to talk to him, to trust him, and when she threw the jar of cinnamon at his head she was turning that request back on him in the biggest way imaginable.

He was in shock, but no matter how long he stared at it the jar didn't change. The code was given. He'd dreaded this for six years, but part of him had already begun to doubt her. It disgusted him how easily the rage came, "You… Bitch…" he could tell she was looking for something in his eyes- a sign that he remembered their deal, was willing to hold to his promise. Truthfully? Even as he played his role he wasn't sure _what_ he believed, what he'd do if it came to act, or if he'd really be there to save Inessa, or to kill her.

* * *

"Sam, can I talk to you?" Marie knocked softly on the door of his office. They'd been in the Townhouse for almost a week as Inessa rotted in the cell beneath the Tower. He mostly had been content to leave the investigation to the others while he stared out the window at the top of the distant Tower and tried to decide if his act was really an act.

 _Haven't you already decided that? You put out word on the streets for Eoin to find you… That's not exactly helping Inessa- bringing in the one person who'd kill her without thinking twice._

"Come on in," he slid back into the guise of an evil general and faced the girl. He brought her into his crew not because of the bad blood between her and Inessa, but because if anyone could figure out what the hell was going on it would be a member of the Shadow Unit. This kind of mind-fuckery was what they dealt in. However, if things went bad, she was a viable, _lethal_ option, "What have you got?" he waved her to a seat on the other side of the desk.

Marie sat, but instead of speaking she wrung a notebook in her hands and fidgeted, "I found something. It could be nothing, and frankly I'm not married to it, I just don't want to spend my life wondering what would have happened if I didn't at least bring it up. This doesn't change my commitment to our mission or my belief that Inessa is a cold, manipulative bully but-"the wave of _hope_ that washed over Sam surprised him as he took her notebook.

She'd made a list of every event, every death, and every strange occurrence they were attributing to Inessa, all laid out neat and tidy, "Talk me through it." He glanced up when she didn't speak, "I won't bite your head off."

"I'm new, and no one's really explained Inessa's… _condition_ to me, so I don't really know _how_ you know she isn't human but-" she reached out and turned a few pages to another list, analyzing each bullet point further. Sam skimmed it, "Strictly speaking, we have nothing that points to Inessa _directly_. Nothing like her standing over a bloody corpse. The only evidence found with Noelle was stuff anyone could grab from her apartment. Now, she must be involved in _some_ way, but maybe- I can't believe I'm saying this- _maybe_ we're looking at the wrong side of the Shadow. Her powers, but not her intent."

"Nadya? That's your theory?" his look was skeptical to say the least.

"They're separate entities right? Also, there's this-" she flipped the page to show a pair of generic human forms with areas marked in red pen, "This is Noelle. _This_ is Gunter Heugh, one of the guards who… _assaulted_ Inessa when she was in Hydra custody."

"Assaulted, can I assume that means 'raped'?"

Marie nodded, "I had JARVIS compare the Hydra death report with 'Project: Echo' footage. Inessa said the ones Bucky got to were only the ones Nadya _didn't_. Her kill matches Noelle. Almost perfectly. I only found detailed reports on two other guards, but they're all virtually identical."

He studied the injuries closely, but hope burned out every last trace of reason or suspicion and left behind only fear, "Noelle's injuries were _distinctly_ man-made though, how do you explain that?" _If it was Nadya all along… I'm going to have to up the act._ He remembered Inessa's insistence so long ago that he take their fight physical if necessary. A shiver ran up his spine.

"That's where I hit a wall," she admitted, "but if Inessa can turn into a monster, could Nadya become a person? Based on her own statements Inessa was the one who shaped her. Maybe she had another form once. Maybe- I don't know what the implications would be if you were wrong about what _Inessa_ is. If the wolves in the Valley were _people_ once- _Hydra_?" Sam was staring at the pages, white as a sheet, "I'll only pursue this if you're willing to back it. You tell me to get my head out of my ass and-"

"Get your head out of your ass." Sam had no way to warn anyone. Inessa had _ordered_ him to turn on her. Knowing Nadya was dirty was the least of it all, they still had nothing on the puppet-master and Sam had to be right where she _begged_ him to stay- as the ace up her sleeve.

He let his own self-loathing darken his eyes. He'd actually _doubted_ his friend, after he swore to her he wouldn't… But he could fix that. Sam slid the book off the desk and into a trash can, "You think I don't see what you're doing? You think I haven't suspected your motives from the start?" Marie leaned back as he pulled a book of matches out of the desk. Sam took several at once and lit them. He had no choice. The notebook had to be kept secret, and as ash the words were safer than in any vault, "You're here as her agent, right? You come in, try to clear her by shifting the focus? If you think that'll work, you're _really_ not worthy of Black Ops." He snorted and stood.

Marie got up and edged back from him, "I told you, I'm more than willing to drop this-"

"After you try and fail to convince me?"

"Sam, I'm on _your side_! If she did this-"

"IF?!"

Marie stopped and crossed her arms, suddenly angry, "I'm not an idiot like _she_ was. I'm not asking you for blind trust without offering something in return. So tell me- what do I have to do to get _this_ ," she waved at him in all his rage, "to back off?"

"Keep your little _theories_ to yourself. Find whatever we need to find to destroy her before she kills the Avengers. If you can manage that, I'll _consider_ not outing you as a traitor too."

"Fine. Then that's precisely what I'll do." She turned and stormed out of Sam's office, stomping her entire way back to her room.

He slumped down in his chair, suddenly tired. _What do I do now?_

* * *

Sam kept up the act, no matter how much it hurt him to be cruel to people he considered family. He was especially harsh with Amadeus, but only so that the boy would _hate_ him. He was on the fence about Inessa's innocence, but with Sam to contend with he was willing to take her side, if only to spite the man.

When Calder arrived and informed him the fight was moving off-world, he was actually _relieved_. She said bring backup, and for the first time he knew exactly what to do. He _had_ to bring the little force he'd put together to hunt Inessa- Marie, Castor, Maya, and Geoff. Amadeus was already being groomed for whatever came next, and now Sam had a realistic reason to take him. To the mix he added Kelsey, Raj, and Travis- Avengers who believed Inessa _could_ be innocent. It wouldn't be hard to slide them back towards that view- certainly easier than taking the fangs from the others. Ellie was as natural a choice as anyone- Natasha never truly lost faith in Inessa, her teammate would be aligned to the same way of thinking. Besides- if there was going to be a showdown, Ellie was the only way he could pass the true plan to his team without tipping off the damn wolf. As for Eoin- he was Inessa's biggest enemy, it wouldn't make sense to leave him behind, not after he'd gone through the trouble of convincing the other Avengers to let him into the Tower. If he was willing to do as he promised- obey Sam's orders without question in exchange for his own life- then his healing abilities would prove invaluable.

There was never a chance their barricade on Asgard would work- it wasn't supposed to. He was following Inessa until he couldn't keep up pretenses anymore. On the way to the Collector's Vault he tried to clue Amadeus in- he told him his entire plan, "I swear to you as an Avenger, as a Leader, and as a friend. Help me keep Inessa alive." Amadeus, the 7th smartest person in the world, didn't get it. He thought it was part of an act, a trick to kill his friend.

 _If Inessa is human_. After he left Amadeus he went to Ellie. Once she realized their purpose- their _true_ purpose, she went to Travis. If Inessa was human, she needed an edge to survive what the others were sure to bring in their fight. The armor kept her alive, if not weakened from the strain of it. When she escaped with Bucky he called ahead to Berny. Tony told him the weapon would destroy a shadow- he could only hope that meant Nadya- but if Inessa were human? If she were human it had the potential to take her abilities to new heights.

Sam didn't know about the vision Muhammad left to her, or that between it and Fandrel's note she wasn't just sure that Nadya was her enemy, she _knew_ who Nadya really was. He just kept pushing his hints as hard as he could, and hoped to Heaven above that his team figured out their mission _fast_.

When he caught up with her again, this time on Berny's ship, he thought he'd accidentally ordered her execution. She was as blank as when he first saw her, and everyone was convinced she was gone. It shook his convictions, but not for long.

He confronted Bucky, goaded him on, and flat-out _told_ him what was going on- just as he had with Amadeus, "Nadya's the reason Noelle's gone. Nadya turned on us, _Nadya_ killed my friends, destroyed my home, and she paid the price for that!" he _was_ hoping the wolf was caught up in Berny's shot. Apparently not.

Either way- it was on Clint's ship that Marie figured out Sam's real end-game was to guard Inessa, not hunt her. Eoin figured it out next, then one-by-one the truth was spread through his team. Before they raided Red Skull's fortress he had Ellie check- _really_ check- to make sure the Avengers were on the same page. Eoin was always a threat to the plan, but he was nothing compared to Geoff. If the man was dead-set on having Inessa as his target…. So he assigned Castor to watch him, to stop him if he made a _legitimate_ play at Inessa.

When Sam told Amadeus to take a good, hard look at his team it wasn't to force the boy onto his side, it was his final hint: Fighters, healers, a psychic to undo any manipulations by Thanos' Warlord on their Leaders, a technical expert capable of reprogramming the device on Inessa's neck so that they had a chance of getting it off of her without killing her (at least, that was the damn plan before Amadeus threw a wrench into the works), and a teleporter to get them out of dangerous situations-

Sam didn't put together a hunting party, he put together a rescue squad.


	45. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37: The Missing**

Wanda paced the cavern as all waited, silent. Three days, that's what Heimdall said. Now the clock was ticking down its final minutes and soon they'd know the fate of the Nightmare Unit. The Asgardian waited to the side- a perfect statue, even if his heart was right there with the anxious Midgardian. His King and his people were among those on this mission. If it failed, Fandrel would perish, and Loki may yet win out.

 _Which is the lesser of two evils- leaving Asgard to the control of a false king, or exposing the loss of Odin on the heels of the death of his only heir? One exposes us to dangers yet unknown, the other may open us to civil war in a time when we must remain united against the Blood Ghoul…_

Peter Quill and his team were on their way from a little "shopping" trip to Berny's station, but even with a few less-than-legal upgrades to the ship it wasn't likely they'd reach Earth in time for their schemes to pan out. Still… They had to try.

Most of Camp Hammond remained to see the return of Terrance and Billy. A SHIELD delegation maintained constant contact with Director Coulson to alert him the _second_ Daisy and Bobbi were returned. JARVIS was basically the only line of defense the world had at the moment… And that was fine with them.

"Today… Today we will either see the deaths of twenty Avengers- over half of our force- or the return of eighteen," Muhammad shook his head as he failed yet again to clarify his vision, "four will die. I know the numbers don't make sense, but…"

"Do you have any clues as to who?"

He answered Vision with a sigh, "If Odin returns today there will be two new statues at the base of the Tower- a man and a woman. Another two have to burn. If they don't, no one comes home."

"So then, the choice is between all or four?" Vision shook his head.

"No. There are no more choices. We've all played our roles in this fight, we can't help or hinder either fight- the one for Odin or the one for the Avengers. In light of that, there's something you should know." Muhammad looked around to the Avengers and to Wanda, "Sam didn't go to kill Inessa… He left to help her."

"WHAT?!" Even Vision was stunned. A dozen questions were thrown at him from all sides, _especially_ the lieutenants, "Explain. Fast."

Muhammad shrugged, "I saw it when I gave the visions to Bucky and Inessa. She used her knowledge of the future to make arrangements with Sam a _long_ time ago. He was her plant. He didn't go off to hunt her, he went to help her save the others."

Vision immediately went to support his wife as she stumbled. He caught her when she sagged and turned his back on the crowd to give her some privacy as she covered her mouth and wept. Her biggest fear had long been that a member of Sam's team would be responsible for Inessa's death. Red Skull's involvement was almost all the proof they needed of her innocence, but there had been no way to communicate that to him. If they'd killed her and _somehow_ made it back that knowledge would have broken them.

Not to mention that now Inessa was not doomed to stand virtually alone in front of the heir to Thanos' malice. If Sam was on her side, there was a chance that not only she and Bucky would make it home- that not only Sam and _his_ team would make it home- but that the Avengers would as well. It was the best news she could imagine getting.

Wanda's reaction wasn't unique- after they'd revealed to the others Red Skull's involvement sentiment had turned back in her favor- overwhelmingly so. There were few Avenges she hadn't befriended. As with any group of people there were those who she didn't get along with- but even so there was respect. What she was trying to do? If it was as legitimate as Muhammad said? That deserved respect. Besides- no one wanted to know what killing a friend would do to those who returned. Even Lady Sif and Heimdall were _visibly_ pleased with the news.

She regained her composure and Vision wiped away the tears of relief from her cheeks, "You all are so concerned with Inessa and Sam's trickery, didn't you hear what Muhammad said?" He turned back to the others, "He said if all Avengers don't die today, all but four will return." His smile was bigger than they'd ever see it as he stared down each of them, "Including Sam's team and the Nightmare Unit, only thirteen Avengers left on missions. Yet eighteen are promised to return."

"They're alive?" Carol Danvers, Sam's lieutenant, laughed out loud. She turned to face Muhammad, "Are you telling us the Leaders are alive? You said four _will die today_ , but that means _all six leaders_ are alive right now?"

Muhammad's nod sent off a round of cheers so loud it deafened everyone in the cavern. Muhammad vanished under at least three Avengers and lieutenants shouted and whistled louder than even their teammates. Of course- once the celebrations turned to excited chatter a major problem was discovered- a man and woman, lovers, would be among the dead. Of those Avengers missing, there were only two couples: Steve and Sharon, or Natasha and Clint. Based on what they'd seen of the start of the journey Wanda, Vision, and Muhammad had no idea of how much had changed between Bucky and Inessa.

Even at the joyous news that the leaders were alive (or that Thor, Banner, and Tony's teams were safe from the guaranteed loss of their leaders) the room dissolved into agitated silence once again. Less than ten minutes until the doorway was opened. If no one came through the loss would be monumental- especially now that Muhammad had given his friends hope. If they returned but Sharon was not among them, the Avengers lost their High-Commander and most respected Leader. If she did, Clint and Natasha were dead, and their teams were orphaned. Not to mention the other two losses they were about to suffer.

When Heimdall stood and walked away from the bonfire everyone stood and shoved forward to see what was about to happen. Avengers, Camp Hammond, and SHIELD members alike held onto one another and waited. When the countdown chimed zero and Heimdall raised his sword there was a collective _gasp_ and the room fell utterly silent. No one was even daring to breathe.

His sword glowed bright blue. Electricity exploded from the end and ran all the way to the ceiling and walls of the cavern. Lady Sif stood at his side with her hand on her sword, ready to stop any last-minute assassins sent by Loki (not that they'd breathed a _word_ of their mission to anyone). A pillar of blue erupted from the sword and Heimdall shouted in either grief or triumph- they honestly couldn't tell which- and slammed it down into the stone point-first.

There was a blinding flash of light and energy that blasted everyone back- knocked over lights and extinguished the bonfire. After it, there was only silence.

Two separate 'Fire-Bugs', as they were nicknamed, threw their power at the bonfire to re-light the pitch-black cavern. Heimdall was slowly pulling himself to his feet using the sword before him. Sif had her feet under her and was ready again for attack-

-and nine dirty, injured, overwhelmingly exhausted, yet undeniably _alive_ people sagged to the ground.

* * *

"Avengers, ASSEMBLE!" Inessa's roar brought everyone to stand behind her and Sam, even Bucky- bewildered as he was.

"Amadeus, tell me you didn't delete your programming entirely?" Sam kept his eyes ahead as he braced for a fight, "Because you have approximately MINUTES! Eoin- freshen up the team!" The man continued to scowl, disgusted with his role in saving Inessa's life, but he did as he was told. His own head would be on the chopping block if he didn't.

Red Skull wasn't exactly quaking in his boots, but he _definitely_ wasn't treating this like some sort of show anymore. He looked to the woman next to him sharply. As scared as _she_ was, she nodded. A shudder ran through the station and Eoin snarled, "That, my friends, is your last chance of escaping this fortress alive being blasted into pieces. There are no ships you can take, no messages you can send, and I'm sorry to say, but you brought too small of a force to this battle."

He raised a hand and his guards stepped forward- _through_ the shield. They were Hydra-issued killers: masks covered their faces entirely and packs on the backs of their uniforms pumped god-knows-what through their bodies, boosting their adrenaline and aggression tenfold.

"NO ONE KILLS THEM- OR _HER_!" Inessa glanced to Sam, "You brought the gun?"

"Of course I did."

"Good. Don't use it."

"Why aren't we killing the Hydra agents?" Bucky had both blades out. He let Eoin walk behind him and touch the back of his head- healing all damage. He was _strong_ again, ready for a good, old-fashioned fight.

"Because Red Skull is a dick. If all of this says anything, it's that." Inessa glared him down as she fought the frequency. It was stronger than she was used to, but after a few seconds of hard concentration her black armor began to creep out, "Six faceless guards. Six missing Avengers. And their handler-" she set her focus on the woman now as the armor slid over her eyes and let her see the _thing_ for what she was, "-hello _mother_."

"Shadow Manipulation," Sam snapped his finger, "Kelsey and Maya- guard Ellie with your lives. Get her to anyone vertical."

The smallest guard-more than likely Natasha- hunched down and readied to attack, "Red Skull! Answer this question correctly and you'll save yourself a _lot_ of heartache: If I surrender right now, give you all of my power or let you kill me- whatever you lured me out here for- will you let them _all_ go?"

"Oh, I haven't _begun_ to show you what I lured you out here for," he jerked his chin and Emilie's body went limp. A moment later, Nadya stood with the guards.

"Don't say I didn't give you a fair chance. Geoff- I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait a bit before you can avenge Noelle. I promise- you can kill my mother later. Bucky-"

"Don't die? You either."

"Deal. Everyone- all I can say right now is 'thank you', _every last one of you_ makes it home. That's my promise." With that, Inessa barreled into the wolf and the fight began.

Bucky singled out the second-tallest guard and tackled him, lifting the man off the ground in the process. He threw him over his shoulder and onto the floor. The man recovered and spun on him with superhuman speed- no doubt thanks to the mess of chemicals being pumped into him. Bucky took a hard hit to the metal plating and lost his balance for a second- but the hit was enough to confirm his hopes: a punch from Steve was as good as seeing his face.

Whatever Steve thought he was fighting- Inessa, perhaps- he moved as if he instinctively held a shield. His forearm absorbed blow after blow- and considering they had a healer, Bucky was willing to take a few stabs at it. He sliced through the suit and hit bone, then wrenched back. The guard shouted and dropped suddenly- striking out as his kneecaps. Bucky jumped at the last second and body-slammed Steve, driving his elbow into the man's gut.

As soon as the fight started and the Avengers divided the second-smallest of the men suddenly expanded with his suit until there was a guard roughly the size of a small house bearing down on them. Travis and Marie set after him _immediately_. Red Skull had contained the Hulk, and they were the best equipped to handle him. Travis wore a belt filled with over a dozen vials, "GET ME AN OPENING!"

"HOW MANY DO YOU NEED TO-"

"ALL OF THEM!" Marie took a deep breath, planted herself, and prayed that the other fighters stayed back. She focused on the pack of drugs at the back of the Hulk's suit and began to suck the heat from within them, freezing the liquid in the tubes first, then moving towards the rest. He was still the Hulk, but the sooner they got him out of Super-Hulk mode the better. Once the easy part was out of the way she began to focus on his uniform, systematically melting the fabric, fusing it to his flesh everywhere but the head.

The Hulk roared in pain and fixed his sights on her. She changed tactics- tried to pull the heat from his body just enough to slow him without killing him. Travis slipped behind him and jammed four needles into the Hulk's calf at once. _That_ apparently trumped the threat of Marie. Hulk swatted the boy aside- but he was already gone. Travis was Banner's lieutenant, this wasn't the first time he had to sedate his boss, and the Hulk hadn't gotten any better at fighting him off.

The tallest of the guards- probably Thor- was the target of Castor and Berny. Castor certainly wasn't as strong as the Asgardian Prince, but without his hammer or his armor Thor was only a _little_ stronger than Steve- and that was one of his favorite sparring partners. Super strength wasn't an immediate _gimme_ , and besides- he was hoping Berny's own enhancements from his years building up the super-villain rep would keep them both alive until another team was freed up.

Another benefit of fighting Thor- without his hammer he was a bit on the slow side. He relied on it _heavily_ in battle- both as a weapon and as a counter-weight. Even with whatever Red Skull and Nadya did to him, he was fighting as if he had that. His punches were wider, and he wasn't as steady on his feet as his movement exceeded what it would normally. As he dodged a punch that probably would have broken _many_ ribs, Castor said a silent prayer of thanks that no one on the rescue party was "worthy" enough to worry about bringing Mjolnir. If that thing got into Thor's hands, they were _fucked_.

"DISTRACT HIM!" Berny abandoned Castor and went wide. He ducked around the prince and jumped onto his back. His sensitive eyes immediately found connecting points for all of the drugs being pumped in, and he began ripping at the hoses and connections. Castor ducked a punch too slowly and it connected with his arm. He screamed as it was nearly ripped out of his shoulder and fell, useless, at his side.

Berny couldn't afford to be delicate anymore. He grabbed two arrows from his quiver and stabbed down with them- jamming them _through_ the flat-end of the goggles. Ideally the most Thor would lose were some eyelashes… _maybe_ an eyelid. It had the desired effect- he had to rip off the goggles to see again, and that gave Eoin time to dive to Castor's side and repair his damaged arm.

Sam picked a guard at random, but as soon as the fight started he knew who his opponent was- Clint. The beating he delivered wasn't nearly as strong as it would be for a "Punchy Avenger", as Clint called the others, but he was far faster than Sam could reasonably keep up with. The only luck was in his training. Natasha had been his sparring partner for _years_ , and she was probably the only one who could actually fight Clint.

Hulk _roared_ as Travis hit him with yet another round of drugs. It worried Sam how close he and Clint were to the beast, but he dove between Clint's legs and managed to at least spin the man so _he_ had his back to the colossus. In doing so though he drastically closed the gap between him and his enemy. Clint grabbed him halfway to his feet and slammed a fist into Sam's stomach, winding him.

Marie saw what was happening and threw a ball of fire at the Hulk's face. It changed his attention back from Travis long enough for the man to shoot in another round of sedatives. She let Travis take a bit of the heat for a few seconds as she blasted Clint's pack- destroying the drugs as she had with the Hulk.

Sam stumbled back from Clint's grasp and jumped as high as he could. His wings were useless in the room (plus it made him too attractive a target for the Hulk), but he could certainly slam both of his heels into Clint's chest and send _him_ flying.

Geoff and Raj- quite possibly the two most difficult targets to hit- both laid into the smallest of the male guards- Tony. Without his tech he was a normal fighter, and their goal was to take him out of the equation _fast_ so they could assist the others. Geoff appeared around him randomly, forcing him to keep turning. Meanwhile, Raj stayed on his six and- as every Avenger in the room- made destroying his pack a priority.

Once it was out of the equation, Geoff fought Tony openly. He swung for his chest and stomach, forcing the man to keep his hands low. Raj jumped onto Tony's back and began clawing at his mask and goggles. When he failed twice to yank them off, he wrapped an arm around the Leader's neck and began to squeeze with all his might. He was, after all, Team Thor- where head-locks were practically the backup for Mjolnir.

Of all the Avengers in the room, only Travis and Ellie went straight for their leaders. Kelsey swung her sword in a massive "V" to keep the other "guards" from intervening in their battle. Maya- nearly a match for Natasha in speed- set her sights on keeping the fighter from seeing Ellie get into position behind her. Another blast of energy from the side locked their fight in a small triangle of flame and wreckage- while the blade itself laid waste to the pack on her back.

When Natasha turned to address the threat that was Kelsey, Maya slammed her elbow into the side of her head. Ellie used the opening to raise her sword once more- this time without summoning its power. She sliced through the ends of the goggles- not enough to expose Natasha's eyes, but enough to take out the lenses. If there was any manipulation, it would be there.

Sure enough, Natasha's eyes focused on Maya as she spun away from the blade. If there was any doubt after the Hulk joined the fight, it was gone now: these _were_ their leaders. Ellie managed to wrap both legs around her leader's torso as Natasha turned and she stuck her fingers through the goggle eyes. As soon as she touched the woman's eyelids she threw all of her power into her leader's mind.

Natasha _believed_ she was fighting the Shadow and its minions- but something was bubbling beneath the massive wave of rage that blinded her to everything save Emilie Ryker's orders to _kill_ : a fierce will to protect Inessa. At first glance it would be the image of a conflicted friend. Ellie's probe was stronger than anything Emilie was capable of, though. She threw _everything_ into blasting out the artificial anger that controlled Natasha. Her leader fell to her knees. Maya and Kelsey immediately latched onto her arms- not that she was fighting to remove Ellie.

As soon as the rage was burned aside Ellie saw what Emilie couldn't- she _knew_. Natasha, at some point, had figured out Emilie's manipulation. She wasn't coherent just yet, and the excess of adrenaline still made her impulsive and dangerous. She would _gladly_ kill Emilie, Ellie doubted she could even be deterred from the target, so she did the only thing left to her- she summoned up every ugly memory in Natasha's head and buried her under them, "TAKE HER DOWN!"

Maya released the Leader and drove her knee into Natasha's jaw. With her mind clouded she couldn't block the strike. Kelsey stepped behind her and put her into a choke hold. Maya landed one last hit to Natasha's temple. It was impossible to say who fell first- Natasha or Stark. Maya was just glad they'd have the _chance_ to debate it.

In human form Emilie wouldn't have been any match for Inessa. Even in Shadow-form she was rapidly discovering there was no real advantage. True, Inessa couldn't exactly land a hit on the insubstantial creature, but Emilie couldn't break through her armor. They were linked- as they always had been- and she knew that the frequency still buzzing through the room was slowly sapping her strength.

The self-sustaining nature of Inessa's new armor made it easy to fight without having to concentrate on the stuff. She used her shadow-claws from the right hand, but kept her scythe in the left, just in case. Their fight was a stalemate, but if Red Skull dared to force her and Emilie to fight in physical form all of the sudden, she was determined to be ready. Emilie's jaws dripped with poison, and Inessa used that to her advantage. Whatever the silver venom was, it was slippery, and Emilie was just as susceptible to it as anyone. She ducked in and out, forcing the wolf to retreat and leap forward- every time she did it sent a fresh splatter of venom down.

When Natasha and Tony fell- and Travis managed to get past the halfway mark in sedating the Hulk, Red Skull shouted a command. His words were lost in the din of battle, but Emilie immediately turned. Geoff was halfway to join in the fight with Thor and Raj- well, who knew _where_ Raj was. Inessa realized too late what was about to happen.

The second Geoff reappeared behind Thor, Nadya exploded in a flash of black mist. He seized up immediately as she took control. A second later Emilie was back in front of Inessa with a shiny new body- one the Leader couldn't simply kill with her scythe. The frequency kicked up a notch, forcing Inessa to abandon her armor at last- but Emilie had enough time for two goes, and she made them count.

Inessa backed away from Geoff, prepared to delay until Emilie was forced out, but she stepped into the same trap she'd been setting for her mother. Inessa slipped and fell. She tried to throw up a shield as Geoff jumped at her, knife out, but she was too tired from sustaining her form _this_ long. Inessa shouted and turned her head-

-but the blows never landed. She heard a sharp, gasping inhale and looked up to see _Eoin_ above her. He looked down in time to see the blade pull out of his stomach. Emilie roared and flung Eoin aside, then slammed Geoff's boot into Inessa's throat, pinning her in place. Geoff's arm rose up for one last blow- but something snapped in his eyes. Emilie's control was weakening, but not fast enough. She was about to drive the knife into her daughter's head, and he saw it- the reason they were lured clear across the galaxy:

Inessa broke the blood magic that let her mother feed off of her energy, but buried in channels of the floor beneath them was another kind of blood magic- the kind that gave a killer _everything_ within its grasp, but only if the blood that flowed and the life that was given was _kin_. Quite simply, if Emilie killed Inessa she wouldn't just increase her abilities _exponentially_ \- she'd control _everything_ within the room. _That_ was why Red Skull didn't care if Inessa fought the Avengers, _that_ was why he allowed Sam and his team to cross into their space, _that_ was why he sent his new "toys" to attack them while he sat on his throne: All it would take was Inessa's death, paired with Emilie's blood hidden beneath them, and she'd have a new pack- one that could _never_ turn on her.

Geoff couldn't stop the blade as it swung down, but he _could_ save Inessa now- and hopefully give her the chance to stop her mother and save everyone else. When the blade fell he put every last ounce of will, energy, and power into moving his right arm. Emilie was caught by surprise. She tried to counter his momentum, but her own power was too weak to stop him in time.

The blade didn't just go through Geoff's neck- using Emilie's strength now he managed to drag it across, opening his throat wide. Inessa screamed as blood sprayed over her and Geoff went down, gurgling. She grabbed Eoin immediately, never doubting he'd taken the time to heal _himself_ already, "SAVE HIM!"

Eoin let Inessa pull him to a seated position as she held her other hand over Geoff's throat. The boy gurgled and held her hand with his own, but Eoin didn't go to him. He grabbed either side of Inessa's face and blasted her with his power- flooding her with every last bit he could, "WHAT-"

"People like you and me, we go to different places," Eoin shuddered as a spasm wracked his body. The blade in his chest had nicked his heart, "when you die- and it had _better not be today_ \- tell Mallory I'm sorry… Tell her I loved her."

"What did you do?" Inessa felt Geoff die, but she was powerless to save him. Eoin fell to the ground, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"You'll… Thank me…" he panted, "Tell Mallory… tell Mallory…"

"GOD _DAMMIT_ EOIN, HEAL YOURSELF!"

"Fuck… you…" he died moments after Geoff, but with a smile on his face.

While Inessa was distracted, Bucky threw Steve into a wall, taking him out of the fight. He made a bee-line for the growing force around Thor. Travis and Marie successfully knocked out the Hulk, then helped Sam distract Clint as Ellie and her team repeated their assault on Hawkeye.

Emilie had one option left- she charged through the shield in her own body. Inessa was forced to abandon Geoff and Eoin. She locked a knee and threw herself into her mother's torso, bringing her down. Emilie had lost _everything_ to this _brat_ for over _two decades_. The Avengers she'd turned were falling to their comrades and she was going to win this fight by any means.

In her rage over the men's deaths Inessa very nearly forgot herself. She had a scythe primed to gut Emilie when a shout brought her back to herself, "INESSA!" she hunched down and jerked her head up- knocking Emilie back. The human body wasn't built for fighting, and she certainly wasn't used to taking real, physical damage. Inessa kicked her stomach and forced her mother back, gasping.

Amadeus held up the implant. He'd retracted the wires (the upgrade _guaranteed_ to kill Inessa- though less likely to do so than Sam's plan of _ripping it the fuck out_ ) and verbally reprogrammed JARVIS to issue the upgrade. Now he threw the unit to his leader. She caught it with one hand and walked over to her mother, " _Bad dog._ " Inessa grabbed Emilie's raven hair and yanked it back, forcing her to spin. As soon as her neck was exposed she slammed the implant in place.

The wires shot out into her skin and began to wind their way through her spinal column, just as they had with Inessa, "JARVIS, ENGAGE!" Inessa backed away as it issued painful shocks- enough to keep her down as long as they wanted without actually knocking her out. Inessa prepared to launch herself at Red Skull next-

-but the man was nowhere to be seen.

As soon as Emilie charged Inessa he knew it was a lost cause. Better to survive to fight another day than die in some idiotic death-charge. Besides- he had one last option: annihilation.

Thor went down last and everyone looked around, ready for the next fight-

There was none.

All Avengers Leaders were down, Emilie was pacified, and Red Skull was gone. His shield made the back door impervious, and Inessa had no doubts that the main door was locked. Travis, Ellie, and Maya ran to Geoff first. Inessa didn't hear their cries. Blood pounded in her ears as she stared down her mother, it boiled in her veins and made her vision red. If there was a reason she was keeping Emilie alive, she couldn't remember. Geoff was her _friend_. She'd lived with the man for _years_ \- he was _family_. And this _creature_ killed him.

A metal arm wrapped around her and locked her in place as she stepped forward, "INESSA!" the voice broke through the fog, "WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!"

Inessa looked up at Bucky, uncomprehending. He was staring at the ceiling. She followed his gaze- seams were appearing in the solid room, and a low _hiss_ of escaping air was becoming a roar. Red Skull was venting the room to kill the Avengers. Inessa found herself floating and, abruptly, the frequency cut out. Before anyone was sucked out into the vacuum around the station she threw her power across everyone and everything in one massive wave- literally.

While they crashed onto the sharp stones of the Valley, the silver lake replaced them in Red Skull's base. They were still dead- but it was a different _kind_ of dead now. The kind that gave you time to say goodbye.

Inessa pushed Bucky off of her and stood up in the familiar landscape. She stared down at her mother, utterly lost for words, "Travis, are they gone?" Sam put a hand on Inessa's shoulder. When the boy nodded he tilted his head in the director of Thor- the closest Avenger, "Your medical bag is stuffed in the Suit. Why don't you get those masks off our people and make sure we don't lose anyone else? Please?"

Maya looked up to Travis questioningly. He repeated Sam's orders, emphasizing each word so she could read his lips. She put a hand on his shoulder, then leaned down to kiss her friend's forehead one last time. The Hydra suits were practically welded together- he'd need her help to remove them.

"We can stay here for a while," Sam rubbed her back as Bucky grabbed her hand once again, "catch our breath, mourn Geoff and Eoin-"

"He saved my life," Inessa nodded to Eoin, "He helped us get them back, and he saved my life twice-"

"And mine," Castor nodded, "I would have died if he didn't fix my arm."

"Nine lives," Inessa didn't break eye contact with his body, "six of them," she tipped her head in the direction of the slowly growing collection of unconscious Leaders, "me twice, and Castor. He took nine lives before… Put his name on the memorial wall. He wasn't an Avenger, he wasn't even nice, but- he deserves to be remembered."

Bucky convinced her sit down and lean against his chest. Marie took off her jacket and spread it out so that she could cover both boy's faces at once. Amadeus joined them, then Raj, Kelsey, Castor, and Ellie. Berny watched them, but he chose to sit between his brother and Natasha as they were unmasked.

* * *

"Who missed us?!" Rocket cheered from a ledge overlooking the hero-filled cavern. The Nightmare Unit was being treated for their injuries- and Odin was planning his return to Asgard. Five Avengers were apart from the rest- mourning the now-guaranteed loss of their Leaders. Anyone not helping the healers sat with them, offering condolences and words of encouragement to one another. Two more of their friends would die soon enough, "Jeeze, who died?"

Peter cuffed Rocket's ears as he led Gamora, Drax, and Groot past him, "Yo Vision, a little help? We have a delivery for you!"

Vision ferried two down while Wanda and a set of telekinetic twins from Camp Hammond handled the rest. As soon as their feet hit the ground Gamora pulled off her pack and removed their prize- the last Helius orb in the world.

"Ta-da!" Peter smiled, "We blew out an engine getting that here on-time, so-" he looked around and pointed to Heimdall, resting on a cot, "-we'll be needing you to pull us into the Realms. Muspelheim would be best- they're closer to the Nova Corps. We can park there for a week or so while the order's placed."

"Are we not wanted in Muspelheim?" Drax frowned.

"Oh yeah," Peter scratched his chin, "in that case, we'll also need a guarantee of safe-passage. We got you your orb _and_ passed on intel about Red Skull- that's got to be worth safe-passage."

"When we return to Asgard I will assist you," Heimdall was entertained by the thieves, and he was in quite possibly one of the best moods of his life, "what is that?"

Wanda came over and took the device carefully from Gamora, "It's- it's how I'm asking you to repay what you owe us for recovering King Odin."

"What?" The human elements of the Nightmare Unit were all fast asleep- dead to the world as their wounds were treated (most of which were centered around their blistered and bloodied feet after three days of running, fighting, and hiking). Volstagg opted to act as their voice, "I was not aware this was done with expectation of payment."

"Let her speak," Odin waved off his subject, "Wanda Maximoff, I assure you- whatever you ask you _will_ be granted, and much, much more."

She nodded and held the orb up higher for Heimdall to see, "This device creates a passage to the Valley-"

"Nornheim," Peter spoke up. Odin's eyes widened and Heimdall actually sat up a bit, "the explosion that gave Inessa her power- it linked her to Nornheim, somehow. _That_ is where her power comes from."

"May I-?" Wanda gladly handed the Helius device to Heimdall. He activated it, but nothing happened.

"They're in the Valley?" Wanda's mouth fell open. Heimdall looked at her, confused, "If the device doesn't work, then it means she's opened another portal from somewhere else. We can't access- _Nornheim_ while Inessa is there, not unless she traveled from Earth. I don't know-"

"Do you have an idea as to what this is?" Heimdall held it up. Wanda frowned and shook her head, doubtful that anything she'd already told him was what he was asking about, "This- a thousand times bigger and a _hundred_ times stronger would allow Midgard to access the Bifrost." He lowered it and studied the device further, "It is not powerful enough, but whatever your people used it for- it brought you closer than your realm has ever been. You said an explosion from a similar device contributed to Lady Ryker's abilities?"

"That was a Helius beacon, about ten-times as strong."

"The Bifrost bestowed upon her a tremendous gift," Heimdall was almost reverent, "what is it you wish for me to do?"

"I don't know if it will work now-"Wanda swallowed hard, "but it can connect to the Valley- to Nornheim… Can you find a way to use it- to make it _stronger_? If you can, we can create a path for her to return with the others. They may be trapped- either in the Valley or on the far side of the galaxy. By the time Peter gets to them-"

"At last check? It would take us two weeks. If they're stuck on Red Skull's base, they'll be long dead. If we bring the Helius device with us and use it there? We _might_ get to the Avengers in time to see the last of them die from thirst and starvation."

"Heimdall?" Odin looked to his friend immediately, "Do what you can."

He nodded and lifted his sword as he stood, "I'm afraid my power is weak right now, but I think I can help." He looked to Peter, "Can you take us to the city of New York? It is where the Bifrost has been summoned the most, and that will give us an advantage."

"Of course," Peter smiled, "that trip won't take five minutes. We just can't do long interstellar hauls. He looked around at the gathered horde, "You're all invited. Take off in ten."

* * *

 _Everyone_ opted to return to New York to see if Heimdall could actually help bring the Avengers home. Even the Nightmare Unit was woken up and helped to Peter's ship. Wanda clutched Vision for support and tried to stop her hands from shaking. Camp Hammond had their people back, safe and sound, but she was about to get _sixteen_ of hers, if Muhammad's vision proved true.

They set down in Central Park and Heimdall immediately went to work, "Nornheim should have been destroyed, I do not know what forces hold it in limbo, but I cannot connect it to the Bifrost." He held up the Helius device, "With this though I will be able to shine a light, nothing more. It is up to Lady Ryker to find a way to make the rest of the journey. The door will stay open for several minutes, but it will likely destroy this device. Are you sure you wish to try this?"

"I am," Wanda and the others followed him away from the ship to a clearing. The people of New York hung back, watching the curious sight. Wanda just hoped they'd keep their distance.

Heimdall raised his sword. Just as in the cavern, it crackled with lightning and electricity. A beam of blue shot out of it. Instead of slamming its point into the ground, as he had before, he threw the orb high into the air until it passed into the column. The blue instantly changed to silver, and a blast of wind buffeted everyone back.

* * *

"JARVIS, that's enough. It's time we had a chat. Ellie, will you translate?"

"Sure." Inessa walked over to her mother and the electricity from the device ceased. Ellie spun her over and put a hand on the Unit. It was enough of a connection to Emilie that she could see her surface thoughts, but also incredibly sensitive, being newly attached. Emilie wasn't as familiar to pain as her daughter, the threat of more would keep her in line.

"You found a way to use the Valley to travel at will- how? I know for a fact he used the Tesseract power-cell as a relay to hack our systems, but how did you get from his base to Earth? You must have had constant contact."

Ellie closed her eyes as Emilie's thoughts bubbled to the surface. The Wolf couldn't command the mind of a human nearly as well, "There was a relay of some sort- more than a Helius device. Some kind of artificial lead…" she slumped her shoulders, "It's back on his base. Any chance you can get us there without being sucked into oblivion?"

"No," Inessa took a deep breath, "I have no way of knowing how much of that tower he vented."

"All of it," Ellie read the answer from Emilie's mind, "Dammit!"

"How do I get us home?" Inessa snarled.

Emilie just smiled. Ellie didn't need to translate, "There is no way…"

"Inessa?" Bucky had looked to the sky in frustration- but there was something wrong with the swirling vortex above- a thin, silver light shone through it.

She followed his gaze, then reached out with her power. Her heart sank.

 _Didn't you always plan it this way though? If it weren't for Red Skull venting the room, wouldn't you have broken off anyways?_ Seeing Sam fight on her side, seeing Geoff die to save her- it fractured her plans. Now that she had no choice though… She wasn't sure she _wanted_ to go through with it.

"I can get us back," Inessa wouldn't look at Emilie. She turned to Bucky, "I can save you all."

"Wait- what do you mean 'you all'?"

A tear slipped down her cheek. The Avengers scrambled to their feet- but none moved faster than Bucky and Sam, "Someone opened a door. I think I can finish what they started, but-" she shook her head, then bit back her own words. If Bucky knew it would kill her he'd try to talk her down, maybe even succeed. She had no way of knowing how long the sliver of silver in the sky would be there, "I don't know what it will cost to open it."

"Guess." Sam demanded.

Inessa reached out again- the task was definitely beyond her limits. Her gaze fell, at last, to Emilie, "If I use her? It evens the odds. Fifty-fifty." _Actually, zero-zero._

"I don't like those odds," Bucky grabbed her shoulders tightly.

"If I don't? One hundred percent- we all die here, slowly." She stared him down, "Do you trust me?"

Bucky smiled and shook his head, "You know I do. Fifty-fifty?" he looked up, then grinned back at her, "I'll take it."

A fist clenched in her stomach as she hugged him. Amadeus knew her well enough to see the lie, but for her sake he bit his tongue. Inessa clasped Sam's hand for a moment before she went to Emilie, "You're going to be useful, for once in your goddam life." She looked back, "Now for the hard part- we need to get up there."

Sam called the remote suite over, then had it detach its legs. One boot went on Inessa, one on Emilie, "Good luck. We'll see you on the other side."

Inessa dragged Emilie away from the others and whispered, "I hope I at least last long enough to see you die," she grabbed the woman's face in her hands, and called out, "JARVIS- send us up, as high as you can."

They rocketed upwards into the vortex. As they rose, Inessa focused on the wire-thin Helius beacon burning above them. When she strained her abilities in New York- nearly killing herself in the process- she wasn't imagining things. The ruins of the Bifrost _had_ slowed. Now it was her job to reconnect it entirely, using the beacon as a port. She wouldn't be joining them, but she _could_ send everyone home.

Emilie and Inessa would burn.

The violent winds ripped at her and Inessa closed her eyes. At some point the boots shorted out, but the power of the ruined Bifrost locked them in place. Inessa dug her nails into Emilie and closed her eyes. She latched onto both the beacon and Emilie's power- exercised her control over Nadya one last time. This time she didn't let the Wolf's limits fool her- she dug _deep_. Her abilities were stronger, but those areas where Nadya was proficient- controlling the portals- _that_ she was willing to use.

Inessa forced Emilie's power down, around the Avengers watching below. Her own extended _up_ , towards the Helius beacon. She felt it like a small thread in her mind, at first barely touching it, but bit by bit she pushed her power through until she managed a firm grasp.

That was when the lightning started.

The power from Heimdall's sworn raced along the beacon and into Inessa. Bucky watched from below as lightning cracked and seemed to go _through_ Inessa. He heard someone screaming- Emilie, and felt a tug across his entire body. The Bifrosts' winds struck up, stronger than he'd ever known in one of his crossings with her.

Inessa's skin tingled, then burned as raw power flowed through her. Her voice soon joined Emilie's as she tried to keep the pain from blinding her. It felt like she was on _fire_ \- white-hot energy coursed through her and the acrid stench of burning flesh filled her lungs. Somehow she held on- but Emilie could not. Inessa's hands abruptly slammed together as her mother's body burned and her power was consumed. She managed a laugh amidst the screams- she'd lived long enough to feel Emilie's death- if not see it. She _felt_ her leave the universe, once and for all, just before a final, titanic blast ripped down the Bifrost and flashed through her.

* * *

On the edge of the sphere of wind blasting from Heimdall's sword, Wanda saw a wisp of shadow. At first she thought it was wishful thinking- he was showing signs of tiring and she was desperate for good news. Judging by the whispers that erupted from her own party- as well as the gaping of the growing crowd of civilians- she wasn't alone.

Soon that wisp became a fog, then a great, billowing tornado of black mist. Heimdall vanished from sight as the darkness consumed him and the howling keen of the tempest began to sound more like a scream. Wanda's skin prickled and the visible portion of Heimdall's beacon high above flashed a brilliant blue once again.

There was a titanic _crack_ of thunder that vibrated through their very bones- then the vortex broke. The beam vanished, leaving the black mist to dissipate slowly. Wanda edged forward with her companions, anxious to see- _anything_. As the smoke cleared she saw what she thought was Heimdall- then another outline beside him- then another, and another, and another, and another.

The Avengers started off their cheer as soon as the first face was visible- Kelsey Leigh. Within seconds a soft breeze blew most of the fading mist away and the others appeared. Wanda ran into the group and looked around, desperate. She saw Bucky and Sam standing side-by-side as allies, the bodies of two men- Geoff and Eoin- covered on the ground- Travis and Maya standing over the unmasked Leaders, everyone, except-

"Where's Inessa?" Sam and Bucky looked around, confused. She was supposed to be there- right? Might she have come through further away?

Amadeus stepped forward with tears in his eyes and took Wanda's hands, "She did it to save us."

"What?" The celebration clamored around them, but within their bubble all attention was focused on Amadeus.

"She said she'd be fine," Sam prodded.

"She s-said that for us," Amadeus choked on his words a bit, "she used Emilie's power, but-"

"They both burned," Bucky felt like someone had ripped the ground out from underneath him, "I wasn't- that wasn't just-"

Amadeus shook his head. Wanda's mouth fell open slightly. Vision hung his head, "Geoff and Noelle. Inessa and Emilie." His whisper didn't mean anything to the boys, but it broke the last thread of hope Wanda had held on to.

Bucky stumbled away from them, unwilling to believe his own eyes. She must have found a way- that was what she did, right? _She isn't gone._ He caught himself on a tree and looked out across the park-

-straight at Inessa.

She was standing in the shade of a tree fifty yards or so away, watching him. His vision wavered as tears fell, but something wasn't right about her. Her color was wrong- almost black. Color returned to her in patches as the wind blew- it had to be a trick of the light, nothing more. He smiled at last and stepped forward.

Bucky got so far as opening his mouth to call out to her when Inessa held up a hand to stop him. She looked across at the Avengers gathered and suddenly couldn't bring herself to go. Her charred flesh was growing back, albeit noticeably slower as the last vestiges of Eoin's borrowed power faded away. The pain and confusion on Bucky's face made it harder, but she just shook her head.

Inessa covered her mouth and turned away. Bucky didn't call out. He didn't move. He watched her run, just as she had watched him all those years ago.

"Goodbye, Nessie."


	46. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38: Hope (Final Chapter)  
**

Ciara was an odd sort of girl, but one Brigit took a liking too.

She arrived in Edinburgh aboard the train one winter's day with nothing but a frayed duffle bag and a bad cold. She slipped into the old woman's café _minutes_ before closing and asked simply for a hot drink to cool her cough as she looked for an inn to stay the night.

The girl was dressed well enough that Brigit knew she was no beggar, but she was woefully ill prepared for a Scottish winter. Ciara intended only to take her tea in a paper cup and leave the old woman to close shop. Instead, Brigit sat her down and let her warm her bones as calls were made and a vacancy was found at a small inn a few blocks over.

After that night Brigit saw her quite often. The child never spoke of her past- where she came from or how she'd made her way to Scotland of all places in the cold of December. She spent her days wandering the city or hiking the surrounding countryside as if she'd never done such a thing in her life. Once and a while a young man would work up the nerve to approach her at her morning cup of coffee, but she turned all away graciously.

Brigit knew the look of loss well- and the girl was practically drowning in it. Whatever it was, the loss happened recently enough, and by her face maybe more than one _someone_ was involved. She looked at Edinburgh not as a home, but as a hiding place, a temporary stop from her life- no matter how long she may stay. Whatever life Ciara thought she was hiding from in the Scottish lowlands, it was bound to find her and bring her home.

The only habit the child possessed which Brigit found odd was her aversion to the television, namely news programs. Everyone was enraptured with the heroics of the Avengers, entranced by the mystery of their temporary 'demise', enthralled with the long-anticipated reveal of the heroes from the mysterious Shadow Unit (now simply Black Ops), and enamored with their newest member- the dashing Nomad, Captain America's childhood friend returned from the grave. Ciara, however, seemed to want little to do with them. She turned away from the television coverage and even abruptly left in the middle of breakfast as they pleaded, yet again, for the return of their missing Shadow, fled during some great misunderstanding.

"Who did you lose, love?" Brigit sat down across from the girl the next morning, just as soon as the rush had cleared.

"What?"

"I see how you avoid those Avengers. As many as they've saved there will always be those they did not. You're a shade of a girl- a ghost, nothing more. What did the Avengers cost you?"

Ciara played idly with her napkin before finally answering, "Not them… That one they've been asking after. _The Shadow_ ," she struggled with the words for a moment before shrugging and wiping away a tear, "The creature cost me my family."

"Oh love, I'm sorry."

"It isn't what you think, they're alive just-"she shook her head, "-there's no way to undo the damage." Brigit took her hand and held it a moment while Ciara regained her composure, "I'm alright, I promise. You don't have to worry about me."

"Seems to me your family's willing to meet you half way at least," Brigit patted her hand and released it.

"They're not-"

"I have kin of the same name, did I tell you that? I'm quite aware your name means 'dark one'. It suits you." Ciara winced and hung her head, but Brigit lifted it again with a tap to the chin, "I'll take it to the grave, worry not, child. You can't build a life from regrets, remember that."

* * *

Winter melted into spring, and spring warmed to summer. Tourists filled the streets of Edinburgh and Brigit saw less of Ciara. She half expected the girl to vanish in the night after their little chat, but if she did think on running it wasn't for long. As vacationers flooded her favorite haunts she struck out further and further into the cliffs and hills- once she even hopped a bus and spent a fortnight in the highlands.

It became more common than not for Brigit to go days at a time without seeing Ciara, not that she had too much time to think on it. There was a bee in the child's bonnet for sure, and a wanderlust that couldn't be denied much longer. She could almost hear the clock ticking before she'd be off for good.

"Excuse me ma'am, may I borrow a moment of your time?" A man with a weary voice nearly gave her a heart attack as she cleaned her shop one late evening.

"Sorry sonny, but we're closed. The coffee machine's already off and I never know how to get the infernal contraption running without one of my helpers," she glanced up and was met with a handsome face. She was hardly even surprised to see the Nomad, disguised as he was.

He pulled his ball cap off and ran a hand through his hair- the _right_ hand, she noticed. He kept his left firmly in the pocket of his jacket (which was much too warm for the summer night), "I'm not looking for coffee, I'm looking for a friend."

"I'll bet you've no shortage of those." She _tisked_ as his face sagged at her dismissal, "Well aren't you the master of the puppy eyes?"

"Please, I've been asking around for a week. The bed and breakfast owner down the street said there's an American who frequents this place in the mornings and _you_ helped her find a place to stay." He held out a photograph, " _Please_."

"If she's a regular in the _mornings_ then perhaps it's best you come here _in the morning_."

"She won't come in if she sees me."

"Then you'd best be stealthy."

"Please-"

"You say that too much, lad." He looked from her to the picture a few times, waiting, but did not take it back, "I'm not looking at anything or saying anything until you've told me who you are and why you're asking 'round so keenly after her. If she doesn't want to speak to you then I don't see who I am to help you drag her back into whatever mess she's come from."

He lowered the picture hesitantly, "I'm not here to hurt anyone, I just need to find her and talk to her. I'm trying to keep her _from_ being dragged back in. I know what it's like to need an escape." He transferred the picture to one pocket and pulled out a black leather wallet from another, "I can't tell you who I am, but I can show you this to prove I'm not going to hurt her."

When he flipped back the cover Brigit shook her head, "As I thought," she sighed at the polished silver badge inside inscribed with a silver wolf's head and the distinctive Avengers 'A'. The man returned his badge to his pocket hastily and fished around for the picture, "Keep your photograph." Brigit returned to wiping down the counters, "I know who you're looking for."

"I just want to talk to her, that's all."

"You've a pretty face, but your eyes are ancient and scarred, just like hers. Tell me one thing and I'll tell you where to find your lass, do we have a deal?" she held out her left hand deliberately. After a moment, he shook on it with the metal hand, "If she says she does not want to talk to you, do you promise to leave her be?"

He sighed, "I can't promise the others won't come looking. A few are already on their way. If she doesn't want to come, I'll help her hide from _them_."

Brigit considered it, then nodded, "Three blocks down on the left. Ask for Ciara."

"Thank you," he turned quickly to the door.

"I'll not be wishing you luck, but I'll wish _her_ peace."

"That's all I want too," he promised, then left.

"Goodbye, dear Ciara." Brigit sighed to the empty room, "God bless and keep ye."

* * *

An evening visitor was hardly common at the inn, especially this late at night. Ciara would know, she'd been staying in the same room for _months_. The knock at her door was soft, measured, not the brisk knock of the owner or a maid. Ciara closed her book softly and sat up a little higher in bed. A shadow moved under the door. She watched it as the owner shuffled side to side for a moment before knocking again.

"You can either talk to _me_ now or _them_ later. Up to you." Bucky heard her footsteps as she finally approached.

The handle turned and the door swung inward, "Hi Bucky."

"Hi Nessie," she admitted him to the room and latched the door. He stepped towards her and when she didn't back away he dared to pull her gently into his arms, "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," she wound her arms around his torso and rested her head on his chest a moment before pulling back, "What's this about _the others_?"

Bucky held her still a moment more, breathing in the smell of her, before guiding her over to sit on the edge of the bed, "Amadeus is going to figure out where you are soon. He's got a case in the city."

"How did you figure it out?" he didn't seem to be too worried about getting out quickly, so neither was she.

"You walked to the Museum of Natural History, got some cash out of an ATM at 3:25pm, hopped a cab to the bank, cleared out your primary account- which raised a _lot_ of eyebrows- headed to the port, and vanished." He lightly traced her jawline and felt the slightest of scars, "Three weeks later you were in Dr. Johansson's office in Sweden having your comm removed. He helped replace my Hydra arm, he's still a friend of the Avengers. He called Steve to make sure it was alright- I intercepted."

"I'm surprised I wasn't retrieved before the sedation wore off."

"That's when I realized you weren't coming back." Bucky took his hand away and rested it on her knee, "When you were done you hopped three different trains before landing in Edinburgh."

Inessa nodded, "So you knew I was here all along?"

"It's my job. You covered your tracks pretty well- divided your money up between a few different banks, stashed the rest in an anonymous account in Switzerland so no one could find you by matching up the totals _and_ you have no plastic, just cash. It's like you knew what Tony would look for."

"Of course I did. How long before a hunting party is launched?"

Bucky considered it, "Amadeus' eyes will be drawn here in a week, after that… four days." His eyes wandered down her neck to her chest and he frowned, "What-" she had a light jacket on over her tank-top and he pulled the sleeve aside to expose her shoulder, then yanked it down further, "what the hell?"

He'd been wondering how a girl _so heavily scarred_ could hide in a relatively small city so well. Now he had his answer- Inessa's skin was completely smooth. She allowed him to pull the jacket off her other arm and even lifted her pant leg to expose one of her shins- which he distinctly remembered the Winter Soldier peeling the flesh from, "Eoin," she explained.

"How the hell did that slimy-" he caught himself, the man _had_ died helping them, "how did he do _this_?"

"He used to do it to Mallory before she left on a mission- he can transfer a bit of his power into someone. It only lasts a few hours, but that's all it took."

"When you reconnected the Realms," she nodded, "I wasn't seeing things. You _burned_."

"I would have."

He shook his head, "What's it feel like?"

"No different. There's just _more_ ," for years the thick scar tissue Hydra had marked her with acted as a buffer to the world around her. Now though her skin felt almost too thin. The inn had only a small mirror, so she wasn't entire sure about how she looked, but she'd spent days poking at the soft flesh.

"I'm changing my guess. In light of-" Bucky gestured to her skin, "I'm making it a full _week_ after Amadeus gets here."

"Thanks for the warning," she abandoned the jacket entirely since she no longer needed to hide. Inessa looked around the small room, "I really liked it here…"

"I'm the last message Steve is sending out. He knew if you were out there I'd be the one to find you. In three weeks our floors of Avengers Tower will be reopened and the statues of our dead will be unveiled downstairs. There's going to be a big party. If you don't show, they'll stop looking, once and for all. In the last six months they've issued statements and done interviews all about what really happened. Steve's told the public everything from Red Skull to Loki to the second Shadow. Every fight, every argument, every time you tried to convince them to trust you. The only things they left out were your name and picture. They've taken full responsibility, now all that's left is to apologize to you directly."

"Wait a month. Then tell them I understand, I do, I just… I _can't_ come back. It's not physically possible."

"Because you lost your power, or because you won't use it?" Bucky held a finger to her lips to stop her protest, "You could have been anywhere in seconds, but you paid for a cab and risked a three week trip in some smuggler's hold on what- a shipping freighter?"

Inessa closed her mouth and let her shoulders slump, "A lot of people have died because of me- even before Hydra. Because I couldn't keep Emilie in check she was able to take my own pack- my own _power_ \- and use it to flag down Hydra… No, I didn't lose my abilities I just-" she shook her head.

"You aren't coming back home because you feel guilty about what _Emilie_ did?" Bucky almost laughed, which Inessa certainly didn't appreciate, "Ness, no one would have seen that coming! No one blames you for that!"

"They don't trust me like they used to. _I_ don't trust me like I used to. I can't be an Avenger anymore. I can't be their Shadow."

He sobered up as a tear slid down her cheek, "You don't have to be the Shadow, you don't have to be Inessa, you don't even have to be an _Avenger_. That's what Steve asked me to pass on. You just have to be happy and know that you always have a home, and you certainly always have a family there."

"I've thought about returning… Walking barefoot on broken glass sounds easier."

He hesitated before pulling a business card out of his pocket, "Come home. Give them another shot, let them _prove_ nothing has to change." He handed the card to her, "If you can't… Call this guy. Tell him 'If Heaven cannot be moved, raise Hell instead'. He'll set you up with a new identity anywhere in the world- even right back here, if you want. Best part is that the code belongs to Hydra. They'll foot the bill. In a week his name will come across Amadeus' desk and they'll start their sting. He'll die before he gives up his clients, Hydra will make sure of that, you'll be gone for good." Bucky leaned in and kissed Inessa as hard as he could, "I know which choice I'm hoping for, but pick what's best for you. Believe me, running gets lonely faster than you'd think."

Before she could say anything else he stood, kissed the top of her head, and left Inessa to her thoughts. Like she used to say- he had to trust her.

* * *

Avengers Tower.

 _Talk about_ _déjà vu_ _._

Marie leaned on a building across the street and watched the tide of tourists fighting for space on the sidewalks. The word was out: The Avengers were finally coming home. Six months (and a little Asgardian aid) was all it took to rebuild the heroes destroyed home at the top of the Tower. For the first time since the explosion its residents would be, well, residents.

 _Most of them, at least._

From her vantage point Marie could see the tops of the black marble statues. She studied their faces, _really_ studied them, for the first time since she arrived in New York. They weren't just statues anymore, they were Avengers. She was finally seeing them the way she imagined anyone around for the Infinity War did- people. Friends. Family.

The two newest statues were surrounded by the thickest concentration of tourists as people stacked bouquets of flowers at the larger-than-life feet of the newly fallen heroes. They'd see what Marie had in the others- two tributes to almost inhuman heroes. They would never know how Geoff, one of only a handful of Avengers proficient in sign language, always planted himself beside his friend Maya so that she could join in the conversation or how he'd giggle every time he played a hand in Cards Against Humanity and mutter about how he was "Going to hell for this". The world would never hear about how Noelle had stepped up and trained the newest Avenger with patience and kindness that just didn't sync with what she turned out to be. They could never hear of the near riotous debates over weather Noelle was ever going to be allowed an honor like this, how it had all boiled down to the fact that while she was serving Red Skull she still saved lives alongside them.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" She snapped out of her thoughts and turned to a young interracial couple who had approached her, "Would you mind taking our picture with the Tower in the background?"

"Sure thing," she accepted the camera and stepped back from the towering black man and much smaller white woman in order to fit both into the frame. She snapped a couple of pictures as they smiled, then handed the camera back to check over the images with them.

"Nice," he smiled at the last picture she'd taken.

"I prefer this one!" The woman laughed at her first try (in which her husband was mid-blink). She spun the dial one too far and a picture from before they'd approached Marie popped up. It was of her watching the Tower, but angled in such a way that half the shot was comprised of the alley behind her. She couldn't be sure on such a small screen, but sitting on the second floor fire escape was an eerily familiar woman.

Marie looked sharply up at the man and stepped back, "This one's probably the best, don't you think?"

"Who are you?" she began drawing heat from the surrounding air, readying for a fight.

He simply clapped her on the shoulder as he passed with his wife, "Thanks for your help Marie. Have a nice day."

Before she had a chance to stop them the couple stepped into the sea of tourists and was gone. She looked for them a moment longer and even considered raising Amadeus on comms, but curiosity won out. She followed the wall to the side of the building and rounded the corner into the alley.

Sure enough, there was a woman sitting on the fire escape with her legs dangling over the edge and her arms crossed on the bottom bars of the railing. She wore faded jeans and what looked like an army surplus jacket, and she watched the Tower with such stillness it was as if she were willing herself up to the balcony.

Marie glanced over her shoulder and made sure no one was watching before she jumped to grab the lowered ladder. As soon as she was on the escape the woman pulled her legs up and turned to face her, "Most of them think you're dead," Marie came closer and sat on the rusty metal steps across from her.

"I haven't decided yet."

"So, who were those people? You won't hire random tourists for that."

"Jessica and Luke Cage. They used to help us out with cases. Now they've got a child to look after so they backed down to more small-game heroes."

"How did you convince them to help?"

"I asked… And I babysat for them last night."

"How did you know I'd be standing out there?" Inessa looked away, "Oh, well, nice to know you're still manipulating the board."

"I'm not, I promise. I just needed to talk to you and there wasn't another way without tipping someone off."

"Why me?"

Inessa shook her head, "I don't know. I think because you're the only one I trust to give me a straight answer."

"You lost me."

"Sam's my friend, Amadeus is like a brother, Bucky was my lover-"

" _I knew it_."

"-and Wanda's my best friend. The others- they only feel guilty right now, and that's not what I need. I didn't train you, I didn't lead you, I wasn't even _nice_ to you… That's why you're the only one I trust to tell me-"she shrugged and looked back at the tower for a moment, "-are they better off?"

Marie considered it, then nodded, "Absolutely. The dark circles really bring out Steve's eyes, Bucky looks hot when he scowls, Natasha and Clint are _much_ less frightening when they're busy chasing down leads, Tony's never been more focused on creating people-tracking software- which SHIELD is _loving_ , Sam's racking up the frequent flyer miles between his trips to Chicago and Kazakhstan, Thor has all of his Asgardian friends to hang out with while they look high and low for _you_ , the worry's really helping Wanda with her beach bod, Banner's made new friends in every hospital and morgue on Earth looking for Jane Doe's, and Amadeus- well, he's too focused on helping everyone with their hunt to be annoying. Oh, and lest I forget, Heimdall's making all sorts of new friends ferrying search parties around the Realms from Asgard looking for your corpse." She gave Inessa a hard look, "Does that answer your question?"

Inessa looked away once again and Marie felt a pang of guilt. She softened her tone, but only slightly, "Listen, are they _safer_ with you in-house? Probably. But we know someone like you can't help but save people. What little I _have_ seen of your work makes it look like you could managed with or without us at your back. Right now no one can confirm if you're dead or alive, and that's eating them from the insides out. You know what? I misspoke earlier. Most of the Avengers don't think you're dead. They think they _killed_ you."

"The rest?"

"Blind faith that you'll come back."

"And you?"

"I think you've been sitting in the shadow of your own damn home for months because _you_ don't trust _them_ , something which I seem to remember was a big thing with you."

"I was in Scotland. Bucky told me Amadeus was coming, so I left… I just got into the city two days ago."

Over a _week_ ago they'd returned from the Scotland mission. How long had Bucky known where the lost Leader was? How long had he kept it a secret? "So to run away from one Avenger you go to a city full of them?"

"I wanted unbiased advice… I got it."

"Well before you leave you'd better get in that Tower and tell everyone why you're quitting, or at least that you are. It isn't fair to leave them in this limbo."

"You're right, it isn't."

"But you're not going to talk to them, are you?"

"I- I honestly don't know yet." Inessa stood and offered her hand to Marie to shake, "If I don't, I've already arranged for Bucky to give Steve a message… Tell them you saw me- or not- just please, leave Bucky's name out of it." Marie begrudgingly shook her hand, "You're going to make a great Avenger. I'm sorry for not saying that sooner… and for basically everything I said after that first day. Especially the part where I accused you of being a traitor… and the nose…"

"Hey," Marie caught her arm as she circled back to the ladder, "just FYI? I'm willing to go blank-slate on all of that if you chose to stay. If you leave, no hard feelings. Leave _without talking to them_ and we're enemies."

"Understood."

* * *

Naturally, the re-opening of the Avengers main base translated to "Big ass party". Camp Hammond, SHIELD, world leaders, freelance Gifted, Powered heroes from other nations, and even King Odin _himself_ were in attendance- but there was no sign of the Shadow. When Bucky tried to join Marie in a corner while hiding from Wade Wilson she simply flipped him off and walked away, leaving him more confused than anything. She wasn't about to break her promise to leave Bucky out of her report to the others, but she wasn't a fan of Inessa's lieutenant at the moment.

Thor couldn't have been happier to see his father amongst his comrades, as he should have been all this time. Odin seemed impressed with the Avengers heroics- and not only because his presence was the product of that very thing. He greeted all who dared speak to the King with a warm smile and a Midgardian hand-shake, and even began talks with several world leaders about opening Realm embassies in most major cities. With his support the world would be defended as it never had been before, and the flow of culture and literature (the only thing the Realms were willing to trade in) would begin.

As the evening progressed into early morning and the last of the guests drifted away to their homes or hotels (or planets), many Avengers found themselves drawn not to their new beds, but to one of the new movie suites in the rebuilt library. Steve, Bucky, Clint, Natasha, Thor, Sam, , Banner, Sharon, T'Challa, Amadeus, Wanda, Vision, Travis, Ellie, Raj, Kelsey, Maya, Castor, and Marie draped themselves across couches, sat together on the floor, or laid over one another to watch a movie no one was really paying attention to. With the exception of Wanda, Vision, T'Challa and Sharon, all were bonded by the strain of their hunt across the galaxy, the recovery of the leaders, and just how far they'd gone before losing Inessa. Still, none would admit she was gone or allow her statue to join Geoff and Noelle downstairs- not until they knew for sure.

"If she was coming back, it would have been now," Amadeus wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, just saying what everyone was thinking. "After the Tower's rebuilt, after the party's over… It would have been now."

Thor watched as dancers twirled around on the screen, unaware of the battle above between a man and a Phantom, "The first time I viewed this film she was somewhere out in a storm. It was at this very moment Mallory Ivaneau- may she feast eternally in the halls of Valhalla- brought her back to sit with us."

Bucky felt something stir his right hand. A space was between himself and Steve (no one wanted to sit across two cushions) and he turned his head to inspect it now. Either his eyes were slow to adjust or she wasn't entirely convinced she wished to appear. He lifted his hand slightly and her own appeared intertwined with his, followed soon after by the rest of her. He felt the pressure of another person as she solidified, but no one seemed to notice in the darkness.

She looked over to Bucky and gulped. He could feel a tremor in her hand and brought it to his lips, then nodded, "Actually," she cleared her throat to steady her nerves as the man in the film fell from the rafters with a nose around his throat, "I think it was this part."


	47. Epilogue

OK, turns out I couldn't let it end there. Here's one of the seven epilogues I wrote! I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment voting on who you'd like to see more of in the PE-Verse return story! "Avengers: Valkyrie Wars" is 1/3 of the way written, so start getting excited (that new profile pic of mine is the official graphic for VW, I made it myself)! :D

 **Epilogue**

Inessa held Bucky tight as he moved. It was a torturous rhythm- agonizingly slow and sweet, frustrating and titillating at the same time. With one arm he braced himself above her, with the other he held her hips firmly in place to disperse any attempts she may make at increasing the pace. Even as they kissed she could feel him smiling, enjoying every moment he had her pinned on the edge.

"This is the last time I let you lead," she panted as his lips left her mouth and settled on her neck.

"You like it," she felt it again, that cocky grin of his.

"I love it," she gasped and arched her back as he found another use for the metal hand on her hip. This time instead of slowing down to delay her release he leaned in fast and hard and gave her what she needed. A moment later he followed her over the edge.

She rubbed his back as they returned to Earth and he left her warm and deliciously sore, "I need time to recharge," she giggled and pulled him down, this time to simply lie beneath the covers with his head on her chest as they caught their breath.

"Welcome home, boss," he nuzzled her neck a moment before bursting out in laughter.

"What?"

"I just realized- I'm sleeping with my boss. I'm the slutty secretary."

" _Lieutenant_ ," she laughed as well, "and yes, you are."

"You're taking advantage of my naiveté. You seduced me."

Inessa rolled onto her side to face him, "Ah, yes, the 105 year-old ex-assassin, naïve."

"Natasha's older than me by like, _10 years_." He sighed and shook his head in mock disapproval, "You and Clint… raiding the nursing home…"

"What about Sharon?"

"The Avengers… A den of miscreants if ever there was one."

"Sorry to interrupt, but if I may- Miss Inessa, you may wish to hide. Quickly."

"Why?" Inessa frowned at JARVIS' warning.

"Because-"Bucky's bedroom door opened. He rolled over Inessa and threw the blankets over her, planting himself between her body and the door. He flipped onto his side and propped his head up with his metal hand.

"Hey, Bucky?" Steve was standing there with the other Leaders, "We're throwing a welcome-home breakfast for Inessa and I was wondering if you'd help Amadeus organize-"he froze when he saw Bucky's position and the lump in the blankets behind him.

"Sure, I'll be out in a minute." Bucky's face went white just as Steve's went brick-red with embarrassment.

"Who ya got there?" Tony stuck his face up next to Steve's.

" _I'll be out in a minute_."

"There's a lady in there," Clint pulled off his shoe and lobbed it over Steve and Tony, nailing Inessa in the head.

"What the hell Clint?!" she threw back the covers just enough to expose her head and shoulders- nothing more. Bucky clamped his hand over his mouth and nose and tried not to let out the nervous laugh he was _desperately_ holding in.

Tony, Thor, and Clint's mouths all fell open. Natasha, Sam, and Banner looked _highly_ entertained. Steve was ready for murder, "You? And you?! YOU BOTH?!"

"Um, Inessa? Help?" Bucky slid up against the headboard as Steve slowly advanced, his fists tightening and loosening as if he were already strangling Bucky.

"And deprive the younger Avengers of seeing him chase you around the Tower in your birthday suit?" Inessa shook her head, "I'm not that mean."

Bucky held up both hands, "Steve I-"he saw murder in his friend's eyes and so he abruptly pointed at Sam, "HE KNEW!"

"Hey, no- no I didn't," Sam backed away as Steve rounded on him, "NOT COOL, BARNES!"

"Shadow armor, now," Inessa obediently summoned the jet-black armor to cover her body as Bucky whipped off the blanket she was using to cover herself. He leaned back and kissed her quickly, "Wish me luck!" Bucky used Sam as a distraction and threw the blanket over himself toga-style before diving around both Steve and the stock-still Tony.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Steve took off after him, screaming all the way out into the Tower.

Banner focused on Inessa, "Is it consensual?"

"Yes."

"Would Terrance approve?"

"I… I think so?"

"Did it start as a last-night-on-earth thing?"

"Half that, half interrogation, I guess."

"Well," Natasha shook her head and looked after the men for a moment. She closed Clint's jaw for him, punched Thor in the stomach to get him to breathe, and swatted Sam upside the back of his head in case he _did_ know, "who wants blueberry muffins?"

Inessa heard an abrupt, shrill _shriek_ echo back from the stairwell, followed by several more screams and even a few cheers, "JARVIS, what's going on out there?"

"It seems Mister Barnes has lost his blanket."


	48. Part 3 Playlist (Final)

**Guess who finally remembered to post the real Part 3 Playlist?**

Me!

I abandoned the other one because I think it's more fun to see which character things are linked to, and some stuff had to be kept quiet :)

So, here's the Part 3 playlist! (B.E. = Before Explosion; A.E. = After Explosion)

Inessa B.E.: "If I Lose Myself" (Alesso vs. OneRepublic)  
Inessa A.E.: "Dear Agony" (Breaking Benjamin)

Bucky: "The Sound of Silence" (Disturbed); "Friction" (Imagine Dragons- also, did you catch the fact that Chapter 32 is named for the song? The chapter title is part of the Chorus, "You can't fight the friction")

Sam B.E.: "Battle Cry" (Imagine Dragons)  
Sam: A.E.: "Goodnight My Friend" (Galavant (This song is why I couldn't post all of Sam's soundtrack))

Amadeus B.E.: "Dragostea Din Tei" A.K.A. "The Numa-Numa Song" (O-Zone)  
Amadeus A.E.: "Confident" (Demi Lovato)

Steve: "The Bitch Song" (Bowling for Soup)

Marie: "I Lived" (OneRepublic)

Wanda: "It's Time" (Imagine Dragons)

Vision: "Crystallize" (Lindsey Stirling)

Red Skull: "Sympathy for the Devil" (Rolling Stones)

Red Skull and Emilie: "You and Me (But Mostly Me)" (The Book of Mormon: Original Broadway Cast)- Red Skull is Kevin, Emilie is Arnold.

* * *

 **A "Project Echo" Part 1 Update!**

Some of you already know about this- I had to re-post a chapter to PE1 earlier today and a few got e-mails about it (Thanks for the review PotterAvenge-X Kane! I'm happy to see another big "Galavant" fan!).

That is part of a bigger thing though-

I just finished a complete edit of "Project Echo: Part 1". For the most part it's the same- I just cleaned up dialogue and fixed spelling errors I'd missed, and cut the first 9 chapters down into 4, just to condense the storyline, but Chapters 1-6 are **TOTALLY** re-written, and I think you all will enjoy them!

Chapter 5 is now when Bucky arrives at Avengers Tower, and I re-wrote it mostly from his POV, which I think you'll all enjoy! Also, the Dinner Scene is a bit longer, a bit funnier, and again, more Bucky-centric! :)

I'll be working through Part 2 soon :)

* * *

 **And your update:**

I just sent Chapter 15 of "Valkyrie Wars" to my writing partner, Samantha-Marie, for approval! I'd say we're halfway done, then you all get them!

Here's a little preview for you of the group dynamics from Chapter 3!:

* * *

" _Steve, do you trust me_?"

"Of course Bucky. I always will. ' _Till the end of the line_!"

" _Oh Steve_!"

" _Bucky_! Take me with your metal arm and-"

"FOR FUCK SAKE! WE DON'T ACT LIKE THAT!" Bucky threw his popcorn at Clint, "I only asked if he trusted me because I was going to throw him off a goddam skyscraper!"

Tony smirked and dodged a similar barrage, "Well, it all sounded very romantic on comms. Hey- judgement free zone."

Steve was actually in a good mood again, so he just chuckled at Tony's needling. He was normally a big supporter of stapling Stark's mouth shut, but nothing bothered him today. They were on their way back from a successful raid on a Hydra-sponsored lab and spirits were high. These were the Avengers he one day would (be forced to) introduce Samantha to, if he had his choice. The kind who ate popcorn on the jet and reenacted bits of the fight for entertainment. Unfortunately, he couldn't promise they'd always be so laid back.

"What are you grinning at?" Natasha was sitting with Sam and Banner at the back of the ship playing cards, but she had this terrifying ability to see all around without looking.

"Feels good," Steve shrugged, "I don't know. It's a good day."

He jumped when he heard a long, sudden sniff next to his ear. When he turned Tony was nearly nose-to-nose with him, "You smell like sex."

"What does that even mean?!" he turned brick-red from his cheeks to his ears.

"You know what it means, spill."

Since it was the worst possible time imaginable, Steve forgot to even look surprised when his cell phone rang. He shoved Tony back and fished it out of his uniform- Samantha. Steve's mouth fell open slightly. His Avengers cell was an in-case-of-emergency line. If she was calling-

"Zoink!" Tony took advantage of the distraction and snatched the phone. Steve dove for him and managed to grab Stark's wrist. He had a whole _finger_ on the phone when Tony lobbed it over his head at Clint. Steve released his friend and jumped to swipe it out of the air.

The world abruptly turned sideways. Bucky slammed his shoulder into Steve's torso and lifted him up off of his feet. They ended up in a heap on the floor of the jet- and then Thor decided to get involved. Taking advantage of Steve's struggle, the Asgardian simply sat on his leader's legs with the full force of his 750lbs. Bucky laughed at Thor's assistance and wrapped both of his arms around Steve's, then locked one behind his head and slapped his human hand over the soldier's mouth to stifle his angry shout. Natasha, Sam, and Banner showed their support for the leader of the Avengers by dealing another hand.

"Hello?" Clint did his best Cap-voice as Steve struggled against the two idiots pinning him.

Desperate, Steve sucked up every last bit of saliva into one wet glob and licked the inside of Bucky's hand, "HEY!" it was worth the gross-factor (though, in all fairness, his hand tasted like popcorn)- Bucky pulled back far enough for Steve to disengage the hold and shove Thor half off. He was going to get that phone before-

"Hold up," Clint sighed, "just a sec-" he made a face and tossed the cell back to its owner. "It's someone from that gym you're so fixated on." Clint shook his head at Tony and scratched his ear. Stark grinned savagely- he was turning on the spy feature in his hearing aids. Steve hadn't been clued-in to that one yet.

"Grant?" She used his middle name, meaning someone could be listening to her end.

"Yeah, sorry. Hawkeye intercepted my phone."

Samantha sounded frustrated at whatever was going on around her, "I'm sorry I used the emergency number, I just didn't want you to hear about it through a _messenger_."

JARVIS, "Hear about what? Is the… _gym_ alright," _Are you alright?_

"I'm fine," she practically spat. She must have been saying it to people for a while already, "the guys at the dig are being dicks, you know how it is."

"Oh yeah, I'm familiar with those kinds of conditions. Not good for the… sandbags." _What the hell are you talking about, Rogers?_

"They, um, took an 'overheated student' joke to the next level, and while I'm perfectly, totally, one hundred percent fine… I'm in the hospital."

"WHAT?!" He glanced nervously on all eyes trained on him. Clint winced as if Steve's shout hurt him somehow. He coughed and whistled, "Wow, who knew wet sand got so… moldy." _What?! C'mon!_

"I'm fine, I just… Might have, um, gotten dizzy and decided to take a very… quick nap. That only lasted a few seconds and is barely worth mentioning. I just- I know you were going to come back tonight and I'm still here until someone picks me up so…"

Steve was already a little panicked, no matter how often she told him she was fine, "No worries, I'm glad you called. I'll be there in-" he glanced at the display on the ship's dash, "three hours? Is that alright? Um, at your D.C. branch I mean. Since you have… Moldy, um, sandbags." Tony snorted and covered his mouth, Bucky just looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

Samantha confirmed that the pickup would be fine, apologized again for calling his cell (not that he was complaining!), and promised to tell him _exactly_ what the doctors said. He kept his eyes locked on Stark, daring him to make a move throughout the rest of the call.

"Moldy sandbags," Banner set his cards down as soon as Steve hung up and arched and eyebrow, "you sure that's what you want to go with?"

"Yeah man," Sam shook his head, "if you wanna change the story I'm willing to pretend this never happened. Anyone else in on a do-over?" Literally everyone raised their hands in unison. Tony raised three.

"DAMMIT! GIVE ME BACK MY ARM!" Bucky snatched it away, "How did you even-"

"I made a quick-release latch that's coded to my fingerprint so I can do this-" Tony put his thumb on the arm as soon as Bucky reconnected it. His grin only grew wider as Bucky ducked to catch it, cursing all the way.

From there the conversation devolved into another good-natured tussle between Bucky, Tony, and Clint. Steve was just happy he was forgotten in the mix, "If you have personal business to conduct, you are certainly free to do so openly. It need not be secret from us. "Thor stood by Steve with his arms crossed and monitored the three fools before him. Should Bucky trigger and 'good natured' became 'fatally hostile' he would be the one to step in before the non-super-soldiers were irreparably harmed.

"Moldy. Sandbags."

"I get it," Sam shoved Clint at Tony when he came too close, "you want to keep your _gym_ separate from all this shit. Makes sense."

"Pepper Potts and Jane Foster- both have been targets because of their affiliations with us," Thor agreed. "Know that entrusting merely your comrades with the… _gym's_ identity will only make it safer."

"Telling us isn't telling the world."

"That's not for me to decide."

"You better decide fast," Sam shook his head, "or life'll decide for you, and something tells me that would get ugly _fast_."


	49. FYI

Hello!

I just wanted to let everyone know **Valkyrie War is up!** I've got 11 chapters posted so far and I'm posting a chapter-per-day throughout Phase 1 :)

Here is the official synopsis:

When a young woman stumbles across a Valkyrie artifact the Avengers will fight Asgard, Valkyrie, Loki, Hydra, and the last of a monstrous race known as the Norn. Whoever claims the weapon can unleash Hell, but when it vanishes Loki takes the only person capable of finding it again: Steve Roger's lover.

It's not going to be as long as PE3 (pinky swear), but it'll still be a good-sized fic :)

I hope you all check it out and I hope you enjoy! After this I'm returning to PE for an Inessa/Bucky/Amadeus/Marie/Wanda/Vision-centric story!


	50. The (Reject) Epilogues

**Hi Everyone** ** _!_**

For the gazillionth time (because I seriously can't say it enough), thank you all for your interest in "Project Echo"!

I said it before- I wrote SEVEN epilogues to this thing, so here's a handful of the rejected ones with "REASONS" they were cut :) Some fit into different versions of the ending chapter, you'll be able to tell those fairly easily though. The big difference was if Ness went back to Avengers Tower with them or not, or if she survived or not.

* * *

 **Epilogue 1  
**

 **REASON:** I cut this from the Epilogue because I decided to keep it Ness-centric.

 **Epilogue: 6 Months Later**

Even after exhausting every lead, checking every dead-end, and perhaps inventing a few clues of their own, the Avengers wouldn't- _couldn't_ \- give up searching for Inessa. When Nornheim was resettled and her comm unit was found in the old Valley, they didn't stop searching. When an old slick of her blood was identified near a crime scene in Central Park where they'd landed, they didn't stop searching. She had accepted nothing- no theory or whisper or even what some would consider incontrovertible _proof_ of their deaths, so they would do the same for her now.

Steve accepted that it was probably simple guilt that made him return time and time again to Astana. Natasha and Clint felt that same force drive them through the streets of Chicago. Banner collected samples on every Jane Doe he could get his hands on to check for DNA matches. Tony built Helius devices capable of moving the entire _Tower_ (which Pepper made DUM-E dismantle). Thor searched every Realm she had ever stepped foot on with the Warriors Three and Lady Sif at his side. Sam hunted down any and all Gifted who may offer some clues. Vision created a string of code he infected all machinery with to root her out, and Wanda followed Bucky as his "Red Shadow".

He was a lieutenant, _Inessa's_ lieutenant, but a leader in his own right. He was Inessa's only ally- that she knew of for sure- in her hunt for Red Skull, and by the look in his eyes Wanda knew they had crossed a line to become more than just comrades. If anyone knew where she was, it would be James Barnes. Unfortunately she could also see plainly on his distressed face that he had not found her- yet.

Amadeus took over Inessa's case load to give Bucky time to search. He'd had Inessa in his mind and still all he could do was write down theories, ideas, or even wild speculations about where she was. Lost in another Realm, trapped between them, a prisoner of Emilie who was somehow still alive or- the worst one- in hiding somewhere no one would ever think to look, not knowing how hard her friends searched for her.

When he voiced his fears to Bucky one night after too much (one) beer, Bucky had an idea: If Inessa didn't want to be found, she wouldn't go back to her old life- any part of it. They looked at what held significance for her, but never searched _Emilie's_ haunts. The Hydra mobile site she worked at, her home with Anton, the house she grew up in-

All turned out to be dead ends.

Reno, Los Vegas, Monte Carlo, Dubai, Macau- every gambling haven he could think of where Nessie could play card shark to her heart's content- nothing.

That was the first three months. Steve released her name and picture to the media as an "Endangered Missing Asset" to spurr some kind of action, but it was a lost cause. Apart from her silver eyes she had no distinguishing marks she couldn't easily hide- and now she could turn those brown anyways. The Avengers even tried a PR blitz where they openly admitted to ostracizing a member who was only trying to save them, but if she was alive, she hid still.

The Tower's upper levels were easily rebuilt, and when the construction was done the teams were at a loss. Amadeus had his own floor in the new design, but he and Bucky still spent most of their time in Inessa's home, searching...

"Steve?" Bucky knocked on the gym door so he wouldn't startle his friend.

"Hey Buck," he stepped back from the punching bag and wiped sweat from his eyes, "what's up?"

"I'm going to take a trip somewhere," he looked over the two others training in the early hours of dawn. He could _feel_ Wanda's eyes on him, "I need you to make sure the Red Shadow stays behind."

"OK, sure," he wandered over, "do you have a lead?"

"There's somewhere _I_ haven't gone yet," Bucky nodded, "if it's alright with you, I'd rather attempt contact alone. If she's there, she'll balk at a full Avengers escort."

"I'll keep Wanda here. Good luck."

Bucky clapped his friend on the back, "I'll bring her home."

"I've lost count of how many times you've said that."

"Twenty-six," he chimed hopefully, "here's to lucky number 27."

* * *

In that draft, Inessa was hiding out in Scotland, but she had a connection to the Astana cell, so when Bucky entered to look there, she came to him, he made the offer that was made to her in the hotel room in Scotland.

* * *

 **Epilogue 2- Astana  
**

 **REASON** : I actually didn't decide until very late in the game if Inessa would survive or not. This Epilogue was later cannibalized into "Chapter 33: The Explosion, Part 1".

Her cell was barely recognizable in the gloom of his lamp. Once upon a time it was impossible to even see your own shadow, now it was full of them. Darkness, but absent of the chill that revealed her presence. When he set off the small C4 charge there had been a crack in the back wall, now it was a gaping hole through which Project Helius shone.

All of Emilie's documents had been removed and mis-attributed to Inessa, and a stain on the plastic table was the only sign of Noelle's gruesome death. Still, being here made Bucky's skin crawl. The discovery of this laboratory had cemented Inessa's guilt in the eyes of her friends. _This_ distracted them while Red Skull finalized his plans.

It was the first time in his life Bucky had set foot on ground that he truly believed was cursed. How could it not be? So many lives ruined in the explosion, an incredible evil released, and the only good to come of it was brought back to face years of torment only ten feet away. He intended to bring something _pure_ back to the place.

"Are you here? You have to be, it's the only place left." he called to the stillness. No reply met his ears, "So then did I come too late?" he approached the Helius device at the center of the room with extreme caution. If evil had a face (other than those he'd already seen), it was this. The device that killed two dozen scientists, 4,000 innocent people, and transformed two others into creatures of incredible power.

"Supposedly the key to getting you back is turning this thing on," he mused, "at least, that's what Stark thinks." He reached out and clicked the main power unit into place.

Project: Helius came to life at once and Bucky stepped back. The mechanical _hum_ it emitted seemed to plateau, a silver haze appeared around it, but there was no sign of Inessa. No shiver of cold or whisper from the shadows. Bucky went all the way back into Inessa's cell, just in case, but there was no one there, "Nessie? Nessa?" he called into the darkness. Only his echo came back.

He was told all he had to do was turn on the device and she would appear. If that was really it, maybe patience was the key. Bucky sat down on the cold metal floor and made a silent promise to keep his vigil as long as it took. Hours, even days- until someone pulled him out he wasn't leaving. If he did and they never found her then somewhere in the back of his mind he would always believe he gave up a _second_ too soon. She waited a _month_ to find him. He could at least return the favor.

Six minutes passed and the only thing that changed was how cold the floor felt on his ass. He stood periodically and walked around, but there were no cold spots- at least none supernatural. The Helius device was its own little refrigerator, chilling the air around it. Apparently it burned cold.

 _Wait, no it doesn't_. Bucky touched it again- it felt like ice. _Project: Helius blew because the cooling system was destroyed_. Bucky only plugged in the power, no other cables connected to the device. It should have been hot to the touch already.

He put his metal arm against Helius and immediately felt the cold all the way in his shoulder where metal met flesh, "Come on,"he whispered to the machine, "come on..." frost formed on the metal, but he still didn't pull back, "Nessa, if you can hear me, please-" was it a tendril of steam snaking off his arm, or a sliver of silver mist? Was the room getting darker? "Ness, please come home." In the halo of frost around the beacon he thought he saw eyes for a split second- beautiful, perfect, silver eyes- then something shorted out, an electric shock made Bucky snatch away his arm, and the machine died once and for all.

"No!" he felt warmth returning as whatever hold was over the machine died, "NO! GOD DAMMIT!"he swung for the device and took a chunk out of the side, then let out his anger, fear, frustration, and pain at once, "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO COME BACK! THEY MADE IT! WE _WON_! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO COME BACK!"

"I couldn't."

Bucky gasped and turned around. Sitting with her back to the wall- as if she'd been there all along- was Inessa. She looked exactly as she had the last time he'd seen her, but something wasn't quite right. Her skin- it could have been a trick of the light, but it looked _too_ pale, her lips _too_ dark, and her body was _too_ still, "What do you mean you couldn't?"

***  
The rest of this epiloge was cut, moved, and re-worded so that Steve had a dream about seeing Inessa and her telling him she was dead (it was a Nadya/Emilie trick).

In the original epilogue though, Bucky comes to realize he's recovered Inessa's body. She made it back through with them from Red Skull's base, but the strain took too much out of her. Unable to breathe, knowing she was dying, Inessa went back to the Valley so that they wouldn't know she was that close to making it home before she fell. She takes this moment to say goodbye to Bucky, then at last dies.

...

Yeah, I didn't like it either, but I did like the idea of a dead Inessa talking to someone, so it became a dream sequence.

* * *

 **Epilogue 3- AKA the Funny One**

 **REASON:** It totally didn't fit the tone of PE3, especially not those last chapters, but know this was REALLY how I wanted it to end. I rewrote this epilogue 4 times to try and make it work, then gave up on it. **  
**

"Barnes? James? C'mon, easy does it." A very blurry blob that solidified into Tony leaned over Bucky in a lab coat, "Hey there buddy, how ya feeling?" he lifted Bucky's eyelids and just about blinded the guy with a pen light.

Bucky pushed him off with his human arm and sat up, head swimming, "What the hell, Tony?" his head felt thick, fuzzy, "Wait- Tony!"

Stark tensed as Bucky grabbed him and pulled him into a (mercifully brief) bear hug, "Well, that is a complete 180. What happened to 'Help me or I kill you'?"

"What are you talking about? No, it doesn't matter. You're back! Where are the other?!" he turned, lit up by his excitement. The recovery room was empty. Tony hit his comms and a moment later Steve came through the door, accompanied by Natasha, "Steve! Nat!"

"Hey, it's good to see you up," Steve's hug was a bit warmer, but Tony wasn't jealous- they were besties.

" _Me_? What about _you_?" Bucky looked around again, "You all okay?"

"Uh, of course we are?" Tony frowned, "Why shouldn't we be?"

Bucky laughed, "Seriously?! Maybe because Red Skull locked you all in a psychotic, murderous rage for months? I'm just glad we got to you!"

Steve glanced to Tony and Natasha, both shrugged, "Red Skull's dead, Buck."

"Well yeah, _now_ he is."

"Maybe I should give the doc a shout?" Tony said.

"Where's Nessa? I want to see how she's doing after bringing everyone back. That couldn't have been easy."

"Nessa?" Natasha was as confused as the rest of them, "Who's that?"

"Who brought what where?" Tony's face was pure bewilderment.

"Buck, that procedure was a lot, even for someone like us. Why don't you just relax and maybe rest a bit more? In the morning I'm sure things will be-"

"What procedure?" Bucky's smile fell as he looked more closely at each face, "Where's Inessa?"

Steve sighed, "Tony upgraded your arm, remember? He repaired it, cleaned up Hydra's handiwork?"

"And who's Inessa?" Tony frowned, "or _what_ is an Inessa?"

"W- no, guys, c'mon. _Inessa_? _The Shadow_? Stop screwing around."

"Is she-" Tony snapped his fingers, "That Echo-girl you asked us to find? Is that her?"

Bucky shook his head, "Guys, seriously. Stop screwing around. After all the trouble we went through to save your asses-"

"From Red Skull?" Natasha shrugged to Steve.

Tony held up a hand to stop Cap's reply, "Okay, let's just rewind here, alright?" he turned to Bucky, "What's your name?"

"James Buchanan Barnes," Bucky rolled his eyes, "Tony-"

"How old are you?"

"Depends on how you wanna count. Would you just-"

"What's today's date? I realize you've been out for a week, so just give me month and year."

Bucky sighed, "I have no idea what month it is anymore-"

"Fair enough."

"-late 2021? Early 2022?"

"Woah," Tony whistled, "you're about 6-7 years off, champ."

"What?"

"It's spring 2015," Steve's tone was gentle now, as if he were speaking to a child, "Last week we found you in Kazakhstan, do you remember that? You agreed to come back with us if we helped you find someone?"

"Yeah, Inessa. We _found_ her. In 2015? The Second Battle of New York? The fight with Sebastian Morris on Clint's farm? Me _leaving_ for 6 years? The Tower blowing up _twice_?"

"Is that a threat?" Tony was defensive.

"No, it just _happened_. Thanos and Red Skull? When he _took_ all of you?"

"Nothing like _any_ of that has ever happened." Natasha came closer, "Second Battle? Sebastian Morris? Are those standing Hydra threats?"

"No, they're-" Bucky could read faces, they weren't lying, "they're... It wasn't a dream."

"Bucky," Steve's tone softened even more at the confusion and doubt on his friend's face, "Thor said that thing he gave you could cause vivid dreams-"

" _Memories."_

 _"_ Dreams are just memories that get jumbled together," Natasha offered.

"Or Muhammad was showing me something?" he wouldn't accept that everything was just a dream, but if he could get to Muhammad he could find out if they were crazy or if it really was him.

"Muhammad?" Steve frowned.

"The Oracle?"

Tony brightened slightly as Bucky made sense, "Oh, you're Muslim? As-salamu alaykum."

"No- he's an Avenger? Muhammad?"

"So the Avengers have a _prophet_ named _Muhammad_? Isn't that a little on-the-nose?"

"I'm sure his parents were aware of the irony."

"It doesn't change the fact that there's no one like that in the Avengers," Steve shut down the conversation before they went off track, "Bucky, it's just the ones you met at dinner- us, Clint, Sam, Banner, and Thor."

"But I-" he seemed to shrink inward, "Inessa and I-"

"Hey, let's give him some space," Steve waved Tony and Natasha to the door. They obeyed. Before he followed, Steve put a hand on Bucky's metal shoulder, "You're just processing everything. It'll be okay. Get some rest, and when you wake up we'll start looking for your Inessa, alright?"

"Yeah," Bucky's face fell, "yeah... fine."

"It's going to be okay, you're in safe hands now." Bucky wouldn't meet his eyes. Steve left his friend in the recovery room and followed Natasha and Tony out into the lobby of Avengers Remote Facility 1 in Menno, South Dakota. The metal doors slid shut and once they were latched everyone was either on the floor or crying on the walls as they burst out laughing.

Inessa came around the corner with Amadeus and Marie, fresh from combat training, "You all look like psychotic seals." Tony wasn't even laughing out loud anymore- it was more of an open-mouthed squeak as his face turned scarlet.

"What's wrong with you three?" Amadeus was more focused on Natasha. He'd never seen mega-assassin Black Widow laugh so hard she couldn't stand.

"Inessa," Steve gasped, wiping away tears, "please, I'll give you whatever you want, just _don't_ go in there for a few days." Tony had finally caught his breath, now he was tipped over again, not even making sound this time he was laughing so hard.

"What did you three do?"

"We roofied him," Natasha gasped, "He thinks-" she burst into laughter again.

"He thinks it was all a dream!" Tony finished, "Everything! All of you!"

"We need this," Steve begged, "Please, give us another day! It's the funniest prank we've ever played on someone other than Clint!"

"You're all going to a _special_ circle of Hell." Inessa rolled her eye and walked away with her friends, "I'm reclaiming my lieutenant in three days, then I'll get to work on the arrangements. Steve, you good with a copy of the last one?"

"Last what?"

"Funeral," Amadeus stuck his head back around the corner to call out, "Bucky's going to kill you, so she's making funeral arrangements."

"A COPY IS FINE, THANK YOU NESSIE!" Steve shouted gleefully. He turned back to Natasha and Tony and came face-to-face with a living Bucky Barnes, "Hey, buddy..."

"Start running. Now."

Steve smiled nervously and edged back, but Bucky kept the distance between them small, "Hey, what's a little ribbing between old pals, right?" he punched Bucky's shoulder lightly, "With you... to the... end of the... line?" he bolted suddenly away from Bucky.

"Oh, I'll show you the end of the line, you little shit!"

Steve stopped abruptly and faced Bucky with his hands on his hips, forcing Bucky to stop his advance, "Now now, James. What did your mother, god rest her soul, say about 'No-No Language'? You're smarter than th-AHHHH!" Bucky tackled Steve mid-sentence.

"Um, what's going on?" Sharon eyed Steve and Bucky rolling around the lobby floor, wrestling like school children (who fought dirty).

"MUHAMMAD!" Bucky shouted from Steve's headlock as the Oracle walked across the common room with a book.

"Don't drag me into whatever this is."

"To answer your question, Sharon," Inessa came back out to watch Bucky and Steve fight, "I think what's happening is the Avengers are finally getting back to normal. Oh, and Nat, Tony, and Steve played a prank on Bucky, so I think that means the battle lines are being drawn."

Sharon nodded, totally accepting the explanation, "Well, in that case, team up against Clint?"

Inessa grinned wickedly, "Any day."

* * *

 **Epilogue 4: The Little Loki One**

 **REASON** : Loki wasn't a big player in PE, so while I liked the parallel with using the prologue from Pt 1, I didn't want to give him the epilogue. There was also a version of this where it's still from Inessa's POV, but it's the Avengers tracking her down in Scotland after she'd gone into hiding.

 **Epilogue: 4 Months Later**

He couldn't shake the feeling someone was following him. Ever since he'd left the library he had felt eyes on his back, but dismissed it. It wasn't that he was afraid of the dark, in fact he was completely unphased in the gathering shadows of the city streets, it was just- _there_! An almost imperceptible shift in the echo of his footsteps, like someone else was just behind him, out of sight, keeping pace. He stopped, and half a second too late the other stopped.

Could it have been his imagination? Easily. He wasn't someone who trusted his surroundings blindly. This was a Midgardian city, typically full of dishonorable thugs who might see a man wandering alone at night as an easy target. He'd grown up with more threatening _insects_ , "Look, it is only fair to warn you, back off or-" he turned and was hit by what felt like the full force of a wrecking ball.

Loki flew back and crashed into the brick on the far side of the alley, tearing a hole in the wall. Before he could get up, they were surrounding him. Thor, Steve, Banner, Natasha, Clint, Tony, Bucky, Inessa, a handful of Avengers he didn't know and even a few Asgardian soldiers. They'd caught up to him at last.

Amadeus had been working on the perfect line throughout the entire operation, "Oh, Loki, you got some 'splainin to do."

* * *

 **Not an Epilogue: Steve Confronting Inessa During the Explosion  
**

 **REASON** : I just didn't think it worked with the rest of the chapter. This is during the "Explosion, Part 2", in an alternate form the Avengers vanish, Steve is the only one left, and he finds Inessa holed up in Tony's lab.  


 **Steve vs Inessa**

"It's coming." Steve wheeled around. Inessa was just behind him, slumped against the wall with her head in her hands, "I can't stop it… I can't-" she began to sob.

"Inessa there's _no reason_ you can't stop this!" He was half-shouting, half-pleading, "Whatever you've done, whatever you think you still have to do-"

"Steve, listen to me, please! Just listen," she looked up at his face as if it were the last time she'd ever see it. She took in every pore, every freckle, every vein- and then she went back again like she was afraid she'd missed part. A piece of Steve grew instantly and instinctively protective of her- whatever was scaring Nessie, he'd fight it back, like he always had. A voice in his mind whispered that she was evil, that he should take the distraction as his opportunity and end her now, but he ignored that part, "I've tried. I've tried _so hard_ , but I can't stop him. Steve, he's going to take you, all of you-"

"Nessie, just _stop_ ," he was pleading, matching her tone, "whatever you're doing, whoever's controlling you- there has to be a way to snap you out of it! You don't _have_ to do anything!"

She covered her mouth and looked away as a fresh wave of tears obscured her vision. Her heart began to race and panic rose in her chest- she couldn't look away, if she kept watching him he couldn't be taken, that's how the world _had_ to work, "Please- just listen. You have to know so you can tell the others when you see them again-"

" _Just bring them back and we'll all sit down and talk_!"

"He tricked me. He played a card I didn't even know _existed_ and I let it get by me. Steve, I can't save you, but I _will_ find you- all of you. No matter what he does, no matter what he tells you, _I know his game_. I finally know what's happening and I _won't_ let him stop me again. Tell the others," she was breathless for a moment at the thought of them. Clint and Natasha- in all her life she'd never had anyone more like a father and mother; Banner and Tony- her two crazy uncles who's idea of fun usually requires someone to watch for police (or other Avengers); Steve and Thor- her watchful older brothers who loved her unconditionally… At least, they _had_ , "tell them I love them. Tell them I'm coming, but it might take time. Tell them to do _whatever_ they need to to survive until I get there. Will you do that?"

Steve's mouth hung slightly open. The pain in Inessa's face was more real than any illusion. Suddenly everything was cast into shades of gray. Could this have all been one huge trap? Were the betrayers the _Avengers_ , not Inessa? "Nessie," his voice was little more than a whisper, "who is it? Who's doing this?"

She was looking at him when it happened. When he vanished. It came on without any sort of warning- somehow she thought that would have been easier to deal with. No strange mist, no halo of light, no slow dissolve or strange portal- one second he was there, the next he wasn't. Inessa grabbed onto his marking, tried to follow it with her mind, but all she could find was a rapidly fading trail leading somewhere far, far away.

Inessa held her head in her hands as the lights began to fade up and brightened to unbearable levels. She held her hands over her ears and screamed, sobbed, howled, and cursed over the screeching keen of some unknowable frequency that accompanied the madness. She couldn't hear what was happening around her, she didn't care. She couldn't hear Nadya barking and gouging the door as she tried to get to her mistress' side, she didn't hear the pounding of Sam at the stairwell door as he tried to get back up to his friends, all she heard was Steve's voice over and over again, begging her to tell him who was destroying everyone she loved and cherished.

"Red Skull," she whispered at last. There was no one to hear her, but she had to say it out loud, the secret that had probably cost her the lives of her friends, "Red Skull."

* * *

 **Not an Epilogue: Why Inessa got to Interview Marie**

 **REASON:** I don't know, I wanted to keep it in! How did it get axed?!

Inessa thought for a moment, then nodded to herself, "Meeting's over. Now it's a job offer."

All that came out was a squeak.

"We need someone with your abilities. Like I said, you're on a watch list because of your brother, but ever since that fire you've been quietly looking into careers that put you in a position to help people. He brought it to our attention, and I called dibs. Well, technically I won them."

"There were- there were dibs? How do you win dibs? Who did you win them from?" Marie was only just starting to process words again.

Inessa grinned devilishly, "Natasha Romanoff. She thought she could beat me with that full house..."

Wait- did that mean poker? "You- what?"

"You can chose whatever team has an opening," Inessa clarified, "dibs just mean I got to ask first."

"I'm sorry, my brain is still buffering and I'm fairly certain I'm hallucinating, but ask what exactly?"

"I've got an open spot on my team. We could very much use someone with your abilities. It's a job offer- want to be an Avenger?"


	51. PE3 Bonus Content: Steve's Death 8

When I write, if I'm having trouble with a particular scene, I tend to write a little one-off that has nothing to do with the chapter or the 'verse and kill the offending character. For some reason it makes them easier to write and almost always clears up the block :)

So, I hereby dedicate this to the biggest offender in PE3, Steve.

* * *

 **Steve Death Scene #8  
**

Steve Rogers wasn't long for the world, but he wasn't one to fear Death. If he did, he would have died a hundred times over by now- and he certainly wouldn't be a hero. At first he'd saved his ire for the cancer. Then for the chemo. Then for the doctor's who told him he'd have to surrender that fight. Now, though, he knew better.

It wasn't surrender, it was a sacrifice. An honorable death for the most honorable of heroes. Sure, he wasn't saving the world from aliens, Hydra, a god, aliens again, Red Skull, or- surprise!- _more_ aliens, but he was dying with dignity and with his family by his side… In the end, is there any greater way to go than with peace in the face of an overwhelming enemy?

Maybe having your best friend there to support you.

Bucky put a hand lightly on the shoulders of Steve's children- his godchildren- as he approached the bed. They'd flown in from far away to join their mother's vigil, "You haven't aged a day." Steve's tongue was dry and Bucky slowly picked up his cup, even held it for him as his withered hands found the straw and guided it to his mouth.

"You've been saying that to me for years now," Bucky brushed it off and returned the cup.

Steve grew somber, "Thank you for coming," he let a brief flicker of fear flash in his eyes.

"'Till the end of the line', remember?" Bucky leaned on the bed, a wolfish glint in his eyes, "How about a mission? I've got a good one- pirates, super villain on a private island, and- just FYI- I'm fairly certain there's a death ray involved."

"Don't tempt me," Steve began to cough when he tried to laugh. Bucky took his hand and held it while he caught his breath.

"Honey?" His wife and children stirred, "Are you alright? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine, Bucky here's just trying to talk me into a mission. You know, get me in trouble again."

"Well, you make it so easy." Bucky flashed his trademark grin.

"What's the mission?" Her voice was soft, warm, and she came to rest a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Pirates, an evil island, death ray," Steve smiled up at her, "I've always wanted to go toe-to-toe against someone with a death ray."

She smiled and a few tears fell, unbidden. It took a moment to force herself to breathe, to get the words around the lump in her throat, "You should. It sounds like fun, if you're feeling up to it."

Steve took a deep breath and moved his legs. Bucky's grin grew a little bit, "You know what? I feel pretty damn good. Maybe I will."

"I always liked you," Bucky leaned across the bed and kissed her cheek.

"Down boy," Steve grumbled, still working on sitting up.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of him."

She reached down and squeezed her husband's hand, "I love you." Her children came to stand with their mother.

Steve's eldest son, James, wrapped his arms around his mom and held her from behind with his chin on her shoulder. "Good luck on your mission, dad."

"Have fun with Uncle Bucky." his daughter couldn't hide her tears.

"I love you all," he got up at long last, stronger than he'd felt in a long time, and kissed the three as monitors screeched and alarms sounded.

"Thank you for coming back for him," his wife whispered to the air as Steve Rogers drew his last breath and slipped from the world at long last.


End file.
